1
as in successful
having attained a desired end or state of good fortune
a flourishing actor in the early years of the talkies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thriving
marked by much life, movement, or activity
a flourishing market in sports memorabilia
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prosperous
marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically
a flourishing community that has become a major beneficiary of the high-tech boom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in flowering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in prospering
to grow vigorously
that plant flourishes in cool, wet weather
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in succeeding
to reach a desired level of accomplishment
the arts program flourished once it received adequate funding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flourishing
Angela Haupt,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
It has been correlated with swells of human progress and flourishing, science and technology, medicine and political freedom.
—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 May 2026
The second is the need for moral imagination and ambition regarding human flourishing.
—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
25 May 2026
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
11 June 2026
These invasion fictions took a range of forms, from short stories and pamphlets to novellas and full-length novels, and proliferated especially in the late-Victorian and Edwardian period leading up to World War I, which brought the subgenre’s brief flourishing to an end.
—
Ivan Kreilkamp,
JSTOR Daily,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flourishing
Adjective
As founding director of the cyborg psychology research group and co-director of MIT Media Lab’s Advancing Humans with AI research program, Pataranutaporn is interested in ways that people can use AI to promote human flourishing, pro-social interaction, and human-to-human interaction.
—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
It has been correlated with swells of human progress and flourishing, science and technology, medicine and political freedom.
—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
Noun
But Ava’s flourishing is also part of Deborah’s legacy, as a boss who has (mostly) stopped exploiting her employees and started supporting them—going so far, at the end of Season 4, as to choose her writing partner over her talk show.
—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 May 2026
The second is the need for moral imagination and ambition regarding human flourishing.
—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
25 May 2026
Verb
Moreover, despite all of Reggie’s mishaps and his lifetime ban from the NFL, Monica has kept him financially sound and flourishing over the years.
—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
11 June 2026
These invasion fictions took a range of forms, from short stories and pamphlets to novellas and full-length novels, and proliferated especially in the late-Victorian and Edwardian period leading up to World War I, which brought the subgenre’s brief flourishing to an end.
—
Ivan Kreilkamp,
JSTOR Daily,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flourishing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flourishing
Adjective
-
Some of the renovations have been successful; fountains are running anew, including the long-dormant cascading water feature at the city’s popular Meridian Hill Park.
-
Live Local also disrupts years of successful and careful planning by the city to promote compatible, consistent development in neighborhoods like Wynwood.
Adjective
-
Despite a thriving local soccer scene and success in competition abroad, the only time the country appeared in the tournament was in Mexico in 1970.
-
We’re inspired by our vision to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.
Adjective
-
His mother, Mary Ann, came from a prosperous family of New Jersey undertakers, and taught in New York City’s public schools.
-
Born in 1944, Peter Asher grew up in a prosperous London family (his father was the endocrinologist who identified and named Munchausen syndrome; his mother was a professional oboe player).
Noun
-
Plenty of plants need a reprieve from summer afternoon heat and humidity but still require a certain number of hours of full sun for healthy growth and flowering.
-
Hang orchids from trees and feed every other week for best growth and flowering.
Verb
-
The company said succeeding in e-commerce once meant winning the shopper’s attention.
-
At its core, equity is intended to expand opportunity by removing barriers that prevent qualified people from being considered, competing or succeeding.
Adjective
-
Scott Usheroff The wine scene has evolved from hobby industry to a buzzing, blooming viticulture scene.
-
The device will completely block the ear canal and cause a low buzzing noise that makes drifting off hard.
Adjective
-
Wall Street has been treating the two companies very differently over the past year, largely because Alphabet has a prospering cloud business that helps justify its hefty spending.
Noun
-
Another blossoming recommendation is the Kanzan cherry.
-
The Yankees’ blossoming prospect, pitching for the RailRiders and against Worcester at Triple-A, cruised for six scoreless innings in his penultimate minor league start.
Cite this Entry
“Flourishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flourishing. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
