PROSPEROUS Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

prosperous

adjective

ˈprä-sp(ə-)rəs

Definition of prosperous

as in thriving

marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically a prosperous business that will soon be expanding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in successful

having attained a desired end or state of good fortune one of the most prosperous families in the community

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lush

growing thickly and vigorously our neighbor has a real green thumb and a yard full of healthy, prosperous plants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 prosperous Unless this course is reversed soon, rebuilding the island as a stable, prosperous, and democratic place could become virtually impossible. — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026 He was haunted by Switzerland’s position of neutrality during the fight against the Nazis, and he was troubled by the accommodations his prosperous countrymen were willing to make after the war to maintain their comfortable detachment. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 At the intersection of the global AI expansion and the urgent development agenda, The Next 3 Billion will spotlight the leaders shaping a more inclusive and prosperous future for the world’s most ascendent regions. — Semafor Events, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026 AfD is the biggest opposition party in Germany's national parliament and is strongest in the formerly communist and less prosperous east, where Saxony-Anhalt is located. — CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prosperous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prosperous

Adjective

Rather than a sudden surge, the new estimate shows the population has always been strong, thriving, and secure.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
The result was a scramble to get on coveted allocation lists—and a thriving secondary market where the sky seemed to be the limit.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of thriving

Adjective

Leadoff hitter Mookie Betts worked a walk, which included a successful ABS challenge that turned a strikeout into a full count.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Because oddly, of all the distinguishing qualities of successful presidential candidates, ambition turns out to be perhaps the most salient.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of successful

Adjective

Take, for example, the three namesake waterfalls that cascade 60 feet down to the lush landscape.

— Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
The church’s center has been reborn as a 96-seat restaurant with lush velvet booths, the seasonal menu courtesy of De La Nonna chef Patrick Costa.

— Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of lush

Adjective

Yvette opens the door to Pizza City’s lone toilet, engulfing them in a bouquet of Pine-Sol and damp cinderblock and the earthier smell of the small weedy lot where the bathroom’s rear wall ought to be.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
Jeon-Gi lives with his Korean family in Building A, scrapping with kids from other immigrant families in a weedy playground.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of weedy

Adjective

But more than half of the volume, about $62 trillion, of transfers is expected to come from those who are currently wealthy—which together make up only 2% of all households.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Lavie used dating apps to steal from wealthy older men and younger women in Westlake Village, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, prosecutors said in charging documents.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of wealthy

Adjective

Over the course of more than four decades in the industry, he’s taken on the transition from cassettes into the CD era, rampant piracy in the Napster and file-sharing era, and the streaming revolution with Spotify.

— Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
The promotion is particularly rampant in men’s health and nutrition spaces.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of rampant

Adjective

Then a trip to the farmers market and local antique stores, a dip in the Delaware if weather permits, capped by an evening on the deck of the Tasting Room for taking in the unmatched golden hour on the valley.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Bake the rolls for 28 to 32 minutes, or until lightly golden and springy when pressed in the center.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of golden

Browse Nearby Words

prosperity

prosperous

prosperousness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Prosperous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prosperous. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of prosperous

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes