flourish

1 of 2

verb

flour·​ish ˈflər-ish 

ˈflə-rish

flourished; flourishing; flourishes

intransitive verb

1

: to grow luxuriantly : thrive

2

a

: to achieve success : prosper

a flourishing business

b

: to be in a state of activity or production

The artist flourished around 1850.

c

: to reach a height of development or influence

The company flourished with record profits under the new owner.

3

: to make bold and sweeping gestures

transitive verb

: to wield with dramatic gestures : brandish

Dressed as a pirate, he entered the stage flourishing his sword.

flourisher noun

flourisher

2 of 2

noun

flour·​ish·​er

-shə(r)

plural -s

: one that flourishes

Synonyms of flourish

Verb

• thrive

Choose the Right Synonym for flourish

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down.

swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

Examples of flourish in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Allowing soil microbes to flourish by keeping soil and roots in place and maintaining soil moisture provides a huge boost to plant health and naturally prevents most weeds from appearing. —Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026

Playing teams operating with considerably lower budgets and less quality meant Palace invariably confronted opponents who sat deep and refused to go toe-to-toe for fear of offering the space in which Palace might flourish in transition. —Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026

From backyard vegetable gardens to colorful patio accents and landscapes, local gardeners are finding creative ways to keep greenery flourishing despite rising temperatures. —Yolanda Harris, AJC.com, 28 May 2026

Though far from pristine and still facing growing threats, the forest is holding fast and extraordinary biodiversity continues to flourish in the kaleidoscope of light beneath its canopy. —Tatjana Baleta, Time, 28 May 2026

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

Middle English florissher, from florisshen + -er

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for flourish

• nourish

Kids Definition

flourish

1 of 2 verb

flour·​ish ˈflər-ish 

ˈflə-rish

1

: to grow well : thrive

2

a

: prosper sense 1, succeed

b

: to be active

flourished around 1850

3

: to make bold sweeping gestures

4

: to shake or wave around

flourish a sword

flourish

2 of 2 noun

1

: a fancy bit of decoration added to something (as handwriting)

2

: a sweeping motion

3

: fanfare

4

: a period of thriving

5

: a sudden burst

a flourish of activity

Etymology

Verb

Middle English florisshen "to flourish, thrive," from early French floriss-, florir (same meaning), derived from Latin florēre "to blossom, flourish," from flor-, flos "a flower, blossom" — related to florid, flour, flower