blossom

1 of 2

noun

blos·​som ˈblä-səm 

plural blossoms

1

a

: the flower of a flowering plant

apple blossoms

also : the mass of such flowers on a single plant

b

: the state of bearing flowers

plants in blossom

2

: a peak period or stage of development

… young women and men still in the blossom of life.

—Allen Best

blossomy

ˈblä-sə-mē 

adjective

a blossomy [=floral] aroma

An old gray house, surrounded by willows, in a blossomy brook valley …

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

blossom

2 of 2

verb

blossomed; blossoming; blossoms

intransitive verb

1

: bloom

2

a

: to come into one's own : develop

a blossoming talent

b

: to become evident

c

: to make an appearance

Synonyms

Noun

• bloom
• blooming

Verb

• flower
• bloom

Examples of blossom in a Sentence

Noun

Her hair smelled of apple blossoms.

in the full blossom of her career as a writer

Verb

Their friendship blossomed into romance.

the fruit tree seemed to blossom overnight once the warm spring weather arrived

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Start in its capital, Tokyo—where skyscrapers glow above sushi counters and bullet trains whisk you past springtime cherry blossoms. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

The park is alive with blossoms in spring and summer, changing leaves in autumn, and ice skaters on the frozen water in winter. —New York Times, 24 July 2025

Verb

The hope is that Fields, 26, can be the latest former first-round quarterback who blossomed at a new zip code. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025

Mitzi Rapkin: This novel is like a flower blossoming with all these different petals, because there’s so many different directions to look at and who has been wronged, and what has happened here. —A Dialogue, Literary Hub, 21 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English blosme, from Old English blōstm; akin to Old English blōwan

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blossom

• awesome
• possum
• lysosome
• opossum
• odontoglossum

Kids Definition

blossom

1 of 2 noun

blos·​som ˈbläs-əm 

1

: the flower of a seed plant

apple blossoms

also : the mass of such flowers on a single plant

a light blossom on the rose bush

2

: bloom entry 1 sense 1b

3

: a peak period or stage of development

blossomy

-ə-mē 

adjective

blossom

2 of 2 verb

1

: bloom entry 2 sense 1

2

: to grow and do well

students who blossom in college