thrive

play

verb \ ˈthrīv \

Definition of thrive

thrived or throve play \ˈthrōv\; thrived also thriven play \ˈthri-vən\; thriving play \ˈthrī-viŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to grow vigorously :flourish

2 :to gain in wealth or possessions :prosper

3 :to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances —often used with on

thrives on conflict

—

thriver

play \ˈthrī-vər\ noun

See thrive defined for English-language learners

See thrive defined for kids

Examples of thrive in a Sentence

these plants thrive with relatively little sunlight
going to a school for gifted students will help him thrive as a musical prodigy

Recent Examples of thrive from the Web

Companies in a position to offer low-cost plans have thrived.

— reed abelson, New York Times, "Trump’s Threats on Health Law Hide an Upside: Gains Made by Some Insurers," 26 Aug. 2017
This new generation thrives off of subtext—small cues, images of a cartoon frog called Pepe, reconverted swastikas that can go undetected.

— rachel kaadzi ghansah, GQ, "A Most American Terrorist: The Making of Dylann Roof," 21 Aug. 2017
L.A. has all of these worlds within it that need support to continue to thrive.

— julia herbst, Los Angeles Magazine, "11 Women Who Are Making L.A. a Better Place," 17 Aug. 2017
Acres of Ohio horsemint, pale leafcup, leafy prairie clover and glade quillwort now thrive on land that once was a forest of prickly buckthorn.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Will County forest earns restoration award," 10 Aug. 2017
Bird baths This is another place Vila says mosquitos thrive since most people don't replace the water and just let rain fill is up naturally. 5.

— jamie wiebe, House Beautiful, "The Sneaky Places Mosquitoes Hide in Your Yard," 6 Aug. 2017
Certain organisms thrive in different conditions, and judging from the density of algae at different points in the kimberlite, Siver can estimate the lake's depth, temperature and CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

— matt ormseth, courant.com, "Conn College Professor Wins New Grant To Study Mystery Of Canada’s Prehistoric Tropical Climate," 3 Aug. 2017
Today, the castle is less the site of noble folly and more a thriving tourist destination.

— james tarmy, Bloomberg.com, "Own a 1,000-Year Old Castle in France for $17 Million," 11 July 2017
Jessica Renslow can remember growing up in the Miller section of Gary when Lake Street businneses were thriving and the community was more robust.

— javonte anderson, Post-Tribune, "Local group makes strides in Miller," 11 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of thrive

Middle English, from Old Norse thrīfask, probably reflexive of thrīfa to grasp

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

thrive Synonyms

Synonyms

burgeon (also bourgeon), flourish, prosper

Antonyms

fail

Related Words

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

Near Antonyms

flounder, struggle

THRIVE Defined for English Language Learners

thrive

play

verb

Definition of thrive for English Language Learners

: to grow or develop successfully : to flourish or succeed

THRIVE Defined for Kids

thrive

play

verb \ ˈthrīv \

Definition of thrive for Students

thrived or throve \ˈthrōv\; thrived also thriven \ˈthri-vən\; thriving \ˈthrī-viŋ\

:to grow or develop very well :flourish

Cacti thrive in dry conditions.

Business is thriving.

Learn More about thrive

See words that rhyme with thrive Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for thrive Spanish Central: Translation of thrive Nglish: Translation of thrive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of thrive for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up thrive? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

thrive

Definition of thrive

thriver

From the M-W Editors

Examples of thrive in a Sentence

Recent Examples of thrive from the Web

Origin and Etymology of thrive

thrive Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to THRIVE

Related Phrases

THRIVE Defined for English Language Learners

thrive

Definition of thrive for English Language Learners

THRIVE Defined for Kids

thrive

Definition of thrive for Students

Learn More about thrive

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066