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

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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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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
As founding director of the cyborg psychology research group and co-director of MIT Media Lab’s Advancing Humans with AI research program, Pataranutaporn is interested in ways that people can use AI to promote human flourishing, pro-social interaction, and human-to-human interaction. — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Jan. 2026 It has been correlated with swells of human progress and flourishing, science and technology, medicine and political freedom. — Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
Noun
Then, what’s needed is signs that there is a young core flourishing. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026 That experience taught me that health is the foundation of human flourishing and also helped shaped my organization's mission. — Mikhail Shneyder, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Verb
And that a just society is one … in which people’s equal potential for flourishing and happiness is able to find expression. — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 There are a number of sedges, some of which are called nut sedges, flourishing during the wet summer weather in Florida lawns. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 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
  • Jose Menendez was a successful music executive and Kitty Menendez was a socialite.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Netflix has expanded its footprint from a (very successful) Christmas Day doubleheader to include Thanksgiving Eve, Week 18 and, this week, the NFL’s first-ever game in Australia.
    — Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of successful
Adjective
  • But this wasn’t nearly enough for Joy Division’s rabid fanbase, and there’s been a thriving black market for bootleg concert recordings for decades, even though the sound quality of most of the tapes varies from half-decent to borderline inaudible.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The shocking ruins of what was once a thriving population center attest to a brutal military campaign to liberate the ancient city from IS.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of thriving
Adjective
  • Born into a prosperous but unhappy family, the owners of a seed nursery, Kusama saw visions of flowers from an early age, dots that spread across surfaces and spoke to her.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Life and death are entangled, like a once-prosperous but now deserted community.
    — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of prosperous
Noun
  • Garden mum expert QiuXia Chen explains that the differences between potted mums and garden mums relate to their flower size, branching, flowering times, plant habit, and vigor.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 8 Sep. 2026
  • How To Prune Oakleaf Hydrangeas Any heavier pruning should be done immediately after flowering has ended for the season.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of flowering
Verb
  • There are other factors that effect children in these communities, but the evidence suggests that having an involved father can be an important protective factor that improves a child's chances of succeeding academically, economically and socially.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Multiple Alabama sources insisted that Kiffin’s behavior during his time in Tuscaloosa precluded him from ever succeeding Nick Saban and becoming the Crimson Tide’s head coach.
    — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of succeeding
Adjective
  • Still, a supportive connection between the moon, Neptune and Pluto retrograde adds a deeper undercurrent to all the buzzing and socializing.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Tucked away in a private backyard in Ashford, one of the state’s few apitherapy huts allows people to breathe in air from thousands of buzzing bees.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 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
  • At the same time, Fjord is nonjudgmental in its depiction of a blossoming romance between two girls, and protesters who come to support the Romanian family are shown as hysterical too, spray-painting warnings about Satan outside the local school.
    — Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The eight-acre property is located on the edge of Frenchman Bay, with beautiful water views, blossoming gardens, and tranquil lawns.
    — Morgan Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 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 11 Sep. 2026.

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