prosper

play

verb pros·per \ ˈpräs-pər \

Definition of prosper

prospered; prospering play \-p(ə-)riŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to succeed in an enterprise or activity; especially :to achieve economic success

2 :to become strong and flourishing

transitive verb

:to cause to succeed or thrive

See prosper defined for English-language learners

See prosper defined for kids

Examples of prosper in a Sentence

She prospered as a real estate agent.
He hopes his business will prosper.
No crop can prosper in this heat.

Recent Examples of prosper from the Web

If USL Birmingham wants to prosper, then its new investors need to do two things: let Copes and Killian run the team, and look for some affordable land near Lakeview.

— joseph goodman, AL.com, "USL: Birmingham's chance to prove it can support a pro team," 11 Aug. 2017
The Latin beats, music and showmanship of big bandleaders of the early 1950s, such as Desi Arnaz and Xavier Cugat, helped promote the growing popularity and success of themed nightclubs prospering in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "'La Havana Madrid' resurrects nightclub with patron, performer stories," 8 Aug. 2017
This is one area where the two adversaries have truly gotten along and prospered.

— eric berger, Ars Technica, "Russian official on new US sanctions and NASA: “Nothing lasts forever”," 31 July 2017
McCormick sold the newspaper, and under Meyer the combined entity, with the Post’s name on top, prospered as a great, ideologically liberal local voice.

— james warren, vanityfair.com, "Is The New York Times vs. The Washington Post vs. Trump the Last Great Newspaper War?," 30 July 2017
Under his leadership now for a year, the automotive business is prospering.

— marcia heroux pounds, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Ed Morse Automotive steers through three generations of ownership," 28 July 2017
Business interests can prosper in this county but not at the expense of our health and safety, the education of our children, or our quality of life.

— Howard County Times, "County with growing pains requires leadership [Letter]," 20 July 2017
Chongqing has prospered as the country’s economic boom rolled inland, reinventing itself as a regional hub for manufacturing, logistics, financial services and foreign investment.

— keith zhai, Bloomberg.com, "Former China Chongqing Party Chief Under Probe, WSJ Says," 15 July 2017
Decades ago, when Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza opened its doors, its developer was determined to show that a shopping mall could prosper in a black neighborhood.

— emily alpert reyes, latimes.com, "Baldwin Hills mall may soon get a makeover that would add more than 900 housing units," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prosper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of prosper

Middle English, from Anglo-French prosperer, from Latin prosperare to cause to succeed, from prosperus favorable

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First Known Use: 14th century

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prosper Synonyms

Synonyms

burgeon (also bourgeon), flourish, thrive

Antonyms

fail

Related Words

luxuriate, overgrow, proliferate, shoot up; germinate, root, sprout; bloom, flower, fruit, produce, propagate, regenerate, seed

Near Antonyms

flounder, struggle

PROSPER Defined for English Language Learners

prosper

play

verb

Definition of prosper for English Language Learners

: to become very successful usually by making a lot of money
: to become very active, healthy, or strong

PROSPER Defined for Kids

prosper

play

verb pros·per \ ˈprä-spər \

Definition of prosper for Students

prospered; prospering

1 :to become successful usually by making money

2 :¹flourish 1, thrive

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