develop is one of the 1000 most common headwords. detail - develop - die Develop is on the Academic Vocabulary List. Pronunciation (UK) (US) IPA (key): /dɪˈvɛ.ləp/ Audio (US)(file) Audio (UK)(file) Hyphenation: de‧ve‧lop Plain form develop Third-person singular develops Past tense developed Past participle developed Present participle developing (transitive & intransitive) When you develop something, you create or make it better. The people who are best at anything have to develop their ability over time. (intransitive) When plants and animals grow, they develop. As children grow their minds and bodies develop. Related words development developer