flourishing 1 of 3

adjective

ˈflər-i-shiŋ How to pronounce flourishing (audio)
Definition of flourishingnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thriving
marked by much life, movement, or activity a flourishing market in sports memorabilia

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flourishing

2 of 3

noun

as in flowering

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Dissimilar Words

flourishing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of flourish
1
as in prospering
to grow vigorously that plant flourishes in cool, wet weather

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2
as in succeeding
to reach a desired level of accomplishment the arts program flourished once it received adequate funding

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flourishing
Adjective
Before, scientists thought bilaterians primarily arose during the Cambrian period and were rare—certainly not diverse and flourishing—in the Ediacaran. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026 Free settlement and separation from New South Wales Allan Cunningham’s exploration of the Darling Downs pointed the way toward more flourishing settlement, which had already begun overland from the south from 1840 after the penal colony had been abolished. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
Phone ban policies restrict how teens can interact without providing further resources for connection and flourishing, May says. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 28 Aug. 2026 As a thought leader in existential psychology and human motivation, Clay translates research into practical insights that help people reach their full potential, build meaningful lives, and advance human progress and flourishing. — Big Think, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
Klara and the Sun is one of many examples in a flourishing box office of just how fickle the theatrical marketplace can be. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026 Notably, the contributors to student flourishing were similar among students diagnosed with anxiety or depression and those without these diagnoses. — Roxanne Prichard, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flourishing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flourishing
  1. successful
  2. thriving
  3. prosperous
  4. flowering
  5. succeeding
  6. buzzing
  7. prospering
  8. blossoming
Adjective
  • Lurie has never been shy to fire coaches, no matter how successful with the franchise, once the team hits the skids.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Inconsistencies One of the most successful forms of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of successful
Adjective
  • That should serve it well at the bottom of the Gulf, where it is expected to quickly become the center of a thriving ecosystem, marine scientists said.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Cortez focused on supporting local businesses, maintaining a thriving downtown and preserving the town’s semirural quality of life.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of thriving
Adjective
  • My home school, Georgetown University, does that, too, often with the prosperous elderly donor beaming in the front row.
    — David Super, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The festival is named for the cotton-destroying insect that forced the community’s pivot to more prosperous peanut farming a century ago.
    — Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of prosperous
Noun
  • Sound arrives from grasses that rustle in the breeze or from birds drawn in by native flowering plants.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, to try to deal with the crises, there has been a flowering of disjointed maritime coalition planning efforts.
    — Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of flowering
Verb
  • The creative director was also named the CFDA’s Emerging Designer of the Year in 2023 and was appointed creative director of Proenza Schouler in September 2025, succeeding founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.
    — Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • He was named president in 2014, succeeding the studio’s first president, Ed Catmull.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of succeeding
Adjective
  • Its tight curves and angled seams recall aeronautic skins, giving the surface a sense of buzzing movement — an appropriate preview for what’s inside.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The event was followed by a buzzing reception with vendors, entertainment and cake, per KFSM.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of buzzing
Adjective
  • Wall Street has been treating the two companies very differently over the past year, largely because Alphabet has a prospering cloud business that helps justify its hefty spending.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 5 June 2026
Definition of prospering
Noun
  • In the tottering years, a bathing bird or blossoming flower will raise a thrill in you like only a game winning home run or a Disney World vacation used to.
    — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Take, for instance, the free-form rooftop pool which is shaded by native trees and blossoming plants and is the perfect spot to cool off from Thailand’s no-joke humidity.
    — Condé Nast, cntraveler.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of blossoming

Browse Nearby Words

flourishes
flourishing
floury
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Cite this Entry

“Flourishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flourishing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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