Synonyms of flourishing

flourishing 1 of 3

adjective

ˈflər-i-shiŋ 

1

as in successful

having attained a desired end or state of good fortune

a flourishing actor in the early years of the talkies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• successful
• prosperous
• thriving
• triumphant
• in clover
• growing
• going
• palmy
• promising
• booming
• coming
• runaway
• roaring
• robust
• gangbusters
• socko
• boffo

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsuccessful
• failing
• collapsing
• hopeless
• failed
• folding
• unpromising
• inauspicious
• washing-out
• no-good
• declining
• slipping
• bankrupt
• flopping
• destroyed
• waning
• futureless
• ruined
• wrecked
• slumping
• flunking
• kaput
• kerflooey

2

as in thriving

marked by much life, movement, or activity

a flourishing market in sports memorabilia

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thriving
• buzzing
• busy
• vibrant
• humming
• lively
• crowded
• populous
• brisk
• bustling
• alive
• animated
• kinetic
• happening
• rousing
• abuzz
• stirring
• astir
• abubble
• hopping
• aboil
• teeming
• overflowing
• swarming
• abounding
• thronging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dead
• inactive
• lifeless
• sleepy
• asleep

3

as in prosperous

marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically

a flourishing community that has become a major beneficiary of the high-tech boom

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thriving
• prosperous
• prospering
• booming
• golden
• successful
• healthy
• wealthy
• roaring
• palmy
• halcyon
• affluent
• lush
• rich
• moneyed
• boomy
• substantial
• opulent
• well-to-do
• comfortable
• well-off
• well-heeled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsuccessful
• depressed
• dying
• failing
• declining
• languishing
• struggling
• unprosperous
• bankrupt
• insolvent
• floundering
• bankrupted

flourishing

2 of 3

noun

as in flowering

Related Words

• flowering
• blossoming
• maturing
• maturation
• growth
• development
• ripening
• softening
• evolution
• expansion
• evolvement
• mellowing
• progression
• maturity
• coming-of-age

Dissimilar Words

• declining
• decline
• deterioration
• decay
• degeneration
• decaying
• decadence
• descent
• declension
• wilting
• fading
• waning
• withering
• death
• demise
• dying
• end
• exit
• expiration
• decease
• shriveling
• perishing
• ebbing
• regression
• expiry
• reversion
• retrogression
• expiring

flourishing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of flourish

1

as in prospering

to grow vigorously

that plant flourishes in cool, wet weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thriving
• prospering
• blooming
• burgeoning
• flowering
• sprouting
• proliferating
• producing
• shooting up
• rooting
• propagating
• luxuriating
• germinating
• overgrowing
• seeding
• regenerating
• fruiting

2

as in succeeding

to reach a desired level of accomplishment

the arts program flourished once it received adequate funding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thriving
• succeeding
• prospering
• arriving
• excelling
• making it
• winning
• getting ahead
• cutting it
• getting there
• getting somewhere
• hacking it
• making the grade
• making good
• prevailing
• hitting it big
• cutting the mustard
• making one's mark
• coming into one's own
• triumphing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• failing
• struggling
• floundering

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of flourishing

Adjective

There’s something to be said about exhibiting the life of a Black, gay man who’s unapologetically flourishing; believe it or not, there are still a lot of people who don’t actually want Black and gay people thriving. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 13 Nov. 2025

No longer overshadowed by the coastal bookends of New York City and Los Angeles, Ohio’s capital, with its distinct neighborhoods, inclusive spirit, and Midwestern warmth, has emerged as one of the country’s most flourishing destinations for food and drink. —Katie Chang, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025

Noun

Economic well-being risks becoming an end in itself rather than a means to human flourishing. —Kenneth Zagacki, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026

The overprotection of patients, the concentration of decision-making authority in the hands of experts and administrators, and the systematic elimination of price signals all reflect a technocratic vision fundamentally at odds with individual flourishing. —Jared Rhoads, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026

Verb

This was true not just for feeling satisfied with life but also for deeper aspects of flourishing, such as having a sense of direction and meaning. —Lea Barbett, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026

His flourishing business interests, on the other hand, remain in rude health. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026