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flourished; flourishing; flourishes
: to wield with dramatic gestures : brandish
flourisher
noun
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Verb
plants and animals that flourished here thousands of years ago
Regional markets have flourished in recent years.
a decorative style that flourished in the 1920s
Dressed as a pirate, he entered the stage flourishing his sword.
Noun
the floral flourishes in the living room
a house with many clever little flourishes
Her writing style is simple and clear, without unnecessary flourishes.
Dinner was served with a flourish.
He waved his sword with a flourish.
She opened the door with a flourish.
With a flourish of her pen, she signed the bill into law.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Time, 13 Jan. 2023
That was followed by the Proterozoic era, when oxygen levels began to rise, and larger and more complex organisms began to flourish.
—WIRED, 13 Jan. 2023
Drakeo’s career was just beginning to flourish when his life was cut short.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2023
One honey sample from the city contained 411 plant species—diversity that helps urban bees flourish.
—Kelsey Nowakowski, National Geographic, 12 Jan. 2023
The study began as two independent longitudinal projects, one comprising 268 Harvard sophomores deemed likely to flourish later in life and the other consisting of 456 14-year-old boys growing up in Boston’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
—Richard J. Mcnally, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2023
Although the Badgers clinched a share of the title at home with the three-point victory over the Boilermakers, their ability to flourish on the road was arguably the No. 1 factor in winning a second title in three seasons under Greg Gard.
—Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2023
Although running back Kendre Miller is questionable, Emari Demercado, who averaged 8.8 yards per carry against Michigan, will be able to step into the starting roll and flourish if needed.
—Dallas News, 7 Jan. 2023
But the XR Elite is targeting a standalone VR / AR market that HTC — as well as Meta, Apple, and other companies — believes will flourish in the coming years.
—Adi Robertson, The Verge, 5 Jan. 2023
Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023
Houston finishes this forgettable season with a flourish.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Jan. 2023
After being canceled past two years, Holiday Bowl returns with a flourish; UNC’s Mack Brown entertains, enlightens; Where are things headed?
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022
Florida failed to finish with a flourish and slipped in the rankings, but Napier and Co. inked a rock-solid class addressing many of the Gators’ laundry list of needs.
—Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2022
This workout starts out slowly but ends with a flourish.
—Mark Barroso Cscs, Men's Health, 8 Dec. 2022
In an impressive display of showmanship, as the Rain band held a note, its director, Kendall Forde, walked all the way across the field to the other side and then, with a flourish, stopped them, not unlike an HBCU band might do.
—Michelle Matthews | Mmatthews@al.com, al, 7 Dec. 2022
But the Ohio native finished the regular season with a flourish, nailing seven of his past nine kicks.
—Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 26 Nov. 2022
Portland closed the second quarter with a flourish, becoming the latest Dallas opponent to wipe out a double-digit margin, pulling to within 59-57 at halftime.
—Dallas News, 12 Nov. 2022
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Verb
Policies that allow for corrosive content to flourish are good for business.
—Time, 13 Jan. 2023
That was followed by the Proterozoic era, when oxygen levels began to rise, and larger and more complex organisms began to flourish.
—WIRED, 13 Jan. 2023
Drakeo’s career was just beginning to flourish when his life was cut short.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2023
One honey sample from the city contained 411 plant species—diversity that helps urban bees flourish.
—Kelsey Nowakowski, National Geographic, 12 Jan. 2023
The study began as two independent longitudinal projects, one comprising 268 Harvard sophomores deemed likely to flourish later in life and the other consisting of 456 14-year-old boys growing up in Boston’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
—Richard J. Mcnally, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2023
Although the Badgers clinched a share of the title at home with the three-point victory over the Boilermakers, their ability to flourish on the road was arguably the No. 1 factor in winning a second title in three seasons under Greg Gard.
—Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2023
Although running back Kendre Miller is questionable, Emari Demercado, who averaged 8.8 yards per carry against Michigan, will be able to step into the starting roll and flourish if needed.
—Dallas News, 7 Jan. 2023
But the XR Elite is targeting a standalone VR / AR market that HTC — as well as Meta, Apple, and other companies — believes will flourish in the coming years.
—Adi Robertson, The Verge, 5 Jan. 2023
Noun
Houston finishes this forgettable season with a flourish.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023
Houston finishes this forgettable season with a flourish.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Jan. 2023
After being canceled past two years, Holiday Bowl returns with a flourish; UNC’s Mack Brown entertains, enlightens; Where are things headed?
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2022
Florida failed to finish with a flourish and slipped in the rankings, but Napier and Co. inked a rock-solid class addressing many of the Gators’ laundry list of needs.
—Orlando Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2022
This workout starts out slowly but ends with a flourish.
—Mark Barroso Cscs, Men's Health, 8 Dec. 2022
In an impressive display of showmanship, as the Rain band held a note, its director, Kendall Forde, walked all the way across the field to the other side and then, with a flourish, stopped them, not unlike an HBCU band might do.
—Michelle Matthews | Mmatthews@al.com, al, 7 Dec. 2022
But the Ohio native finished the regular season with a flourish, nailing seven of his past nine kicks.
—Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 26 Nov. 2022
Portland closed the second quarter with a flourish, becoming the latest Dallas opponent to wipe out a double-digit margin, pulling to within 59-57 at halftime.
—Dallas News, 12 Nov. 2022
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flourish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English florisshen "to put forth flowers, bloom, grow luxuriantly, prosper, brandish (a weapon)," borrowed from Anglo-French floriss-, stem of florir, flurir "to bloom, grow abundantly, thrive," going back to Vulgar Latin *flōrīre, restructuring of Latin flōrēscere "to begin to flower, increase in vigor," inchoative derivative of flōrēre "to bloom, prosper, be at the peak of one's powers," stative verbal derivative of flōr-, flōs flower entry 1
Noun
derivative of flourish entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of flourish was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near flourish
Cite this Entry
“Flourish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourish. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.
Kids Definition
flourish
1 of 2 verb
flour·ish
ˈflər-ish 
ˈflə-rish
flourish
2 of 2 noun
More from Merriam-Webster on flourish
Nglish: Translation of flourish for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of flourish for Arabic Speakers
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