flourish

flourish — verb

1. to grow in a strong and healthy way, or to reach a high level of success and act

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to grow in a strong and healthy way, or to reach a high level of success and activity

Example

Manuela's garden flourished after she installed a drip irrigation system.

intransitive with natural subject (plants, gardens)

The café flourished once a famous food critic wrote about its homemade pies.

intransitive with business subject

Common collocations
  • flourish in
  • flourish under
  • continue to flourish
  • flourish as
Synonyms
  • thrive

    Nearly identical in meaning; 'thrive' is slightly more common for living things, 'flourish' for activities and arts.

  • prosper

    More focused on financial or material success than on healthy growth.

  • bloom

    Most often used for people's talents, confidence, or beauty developing, less common for businesses.

Antonyms
  • wither

    Describes gradual decline, especially of plants or hopes.

  • decline

    A general drop in quality, strength, or activity over time.

Grammar Patterns

flourish (no object)

Usage Note

Unlike 'grow' or 'develop', 'flourish' always carries a strongly positive meaning of thriving. The subject is most often a plant, business, art form, community, or person developing at their best.

Common Mistakes

The business flourished during the recession.' (If it actually struggled.)
The business flourished during the economic boom.
'flourish' means to succeed and thrive, not merely to survive.

2. to hold up an object and move it in a showy or dramatic way so that people notic

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to hold up an object and move it in a showy or dramatic way so that people notice it

Example

Lucas flourished his concert ticket at the entrance and walked straight in.

transitive with ticket/papers as object

Amani burst into the kitchen, flourishing a letter from the university admissions office.

Common collocations
  • flourish + object in front of
  • flourish + object at
Synonyms
  • brandish

    More aggressive or threatening in tone, often used with weapons.

  • wave

    Neutral and common; does not carry the dramatic or attention-seeking nuance of 'flourish'.

  • wield

    Focuses on holding and using an object with control, not necessarily with drama.

Grammar Patterns

flourish + object

Usage Note

Not used for gentle or casual waving — 'flourish' implies a deliberate, theatrical movement meant to draw attention. Common objects include tickets, letters, pens, scarves, pieces of paper, or weapons.

Common Mistakes

She flourished goodbye to her friend from the car.
She waved goodbye to her friend from the car.
'flourish' is not used for ordinary greeting gestures; it describes showy, attention-seeking movements.

flourish — noun

Word family

  • flourishing
    adjectiveB2
  • flourished
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three describe successful development, but with different emphases. 'Thrive' is the closest synonym to 'flourish' — both suggest vigorous, healthy growth in a favourable environment. A plant thrives in good soil; a community flourishes when its members are supported. 'Prosper' is narrower, focusing on material or financial wealth: a business prospers when profits rise, but a child does not 'prosper' — they thrive or flourish. 'Bloom' relates to the development of personal qualities or talents, like confidence or beauty, and is rarely used for organisations. For example: 'The garden flourished after the rains' works with any of the three, but 'Her talent bloomed late in life' sounds natural only with 'bloom', while 'The family business prospered for three generations' fits only 'prosper'.

thrive ↗prosperbloom ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • business flourishes
  • trade flourishes
  • plant flourishes
  • talent flourishes
  • culture flourishes
  • economy flourishes

Adverbs

  • continue to flourish
  • still flourish
  • once flourished
  • flourish particularly
  • flourish especially

Phrases

  • flourish or fail
  • flourish and grow

Prepositions

  • flourish in
  • flourish under
  • flourish with
  • flourish as
  • flourish during

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'flourish' came into English from Old French 'floriss-', the stem of 'florir' (to blossom or flower), which itself came from Latin 'florēre' (to bloom), derived from 'flōs' (a flower). The original meaning was about plants producing flowers and growing strongly. By the 14th century it was already used more broadly for anything that thrives. The verb sense of waving something dramatically appeared in the 1500s, possibly from the image of a flower's petals opening in a showy display.