estirón
/estiˈɾon/colloquial, masculine
The Spanish phrase for a growth spurt is estirón.
Estirón is used to describe a sudden growth in one's body. To say that someone is having a growth spurt, you use the expression dar un estirón.
Meaning: sudden growth in one's body (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word estirón comes from the verb estirar, meaning 'to stretch', referring to the way the body stretches during a growth spurt.
Which one should you use?
While estirón is the standard colloquial term, you may encounter estironazo, which is a slang term used to emphasize how sudden the growth was.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In everyday conversation, estirón is the most common way to describe this phenomenon. If you are in a medical or scientific context, you should use the formal phrase crecimiento acelerado (accelerated growth) instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is estirón, and the plural form is estirones.
How do you pronounce it?
/estiˈɾon/
Did you know?
- While English speakers 'hit' a growth spurt, Spanish speakers dar un estirón, which literally means 'to give a stretch'.
- The slang version estironazo uses the -azo suffix, which in other Spanish words often refers to a physical blow or hit, adding a sense of impact to the growth.
- The suffix -ón in estirón is part of a linguistic pattern in Spanish used to create 'augmentatives', which instinctively make a word feel larger or more intense to the speaker.
Examples in context
- Mi hijo ha tenido un estirón de crecimiento este año.My son had a growth spurt this year.
- Mi hijo está en pleno estirón.My son is going through a growth spurt.
- Ese estirón le cambió mucho la cara.That growth spurt changed his face a lot.
- Parece que tuvo un estirón este verano.It looks like he had a growth spurt this summer.
Example conversation
Two parents are discussing their children's recent height changes.
- Alejandro¿Has visto lo alto que está Luis?Have you seen how tall Luis is?
- MaríaSí, tuvo un estirón muy fuerte últimamente.Yes, he had a very strong growth spurt lately.
- AlejandroEs increíble lo rápido que crece.It's incredible how fast he grows.
- MaríaParece que fue de la noche a la mañana.It seems like it happened overnight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “growth spurt” translations and entries estirón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
