prosper

verb

pros·​per ˈprä-spər 

prospered; prospering ˈprä-sp(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

Synonyms of prosper

• thrive
• flourish

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 on the Web

Meanwhile, dictators prosper and multiply. —Max Hastings, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026

And several of them — like the diner on Milwaukee Avenue — had outwardly appeared to be prospering, only to suddenly shut down. —Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026

The time is now for all stakeholders to work together to provide a fair and transparent framework in which everyone is able to prosper. —Eddie Edwards Jr, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026

And that’s a decidedly mixed blessing for a franchise that had prospered so much by it, only to be done in by it this season. —Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prosperen, borrowed from Anglo-French prosperer "to promote, foster, be fortunate or successful," borrowed from Latin prosperāre "to cause to succeed, further" (Medieval Latin also, in passive, "to be granted success, succeed"), verbal derivative of prosperus "agreeable to one's wishes, successful, prosperous"

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

prosper

verb

pros·​per ˈpräs-pər 

prospered; prospering -p(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to succeed or make money in something one is doing

2

: thrive sense 1, flourish

3

: to cause to become prosperous