flourish
Americanverb (used without object)
-
flourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flourished,
past participle, past
-
flourishing
present participle
-
to be in a vigorous state; thrive.
a period in which art flourished.
-
to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.
-
to be successful; prosper.
-
to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant.
-
to make dramatic, sweeping gestures.
Flourish more when you act out the king's great death scene.
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to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc.
-
to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.
verb (used with object)
-
flourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flourished,
past participle, past
-
flourishing
present participle
-
to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with.
a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.
-
to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.
- Synonyms:
- ornament
noun
-
flourishes
plural
-
an act or instance of brandishing.
-
an ostentatious display.
-
a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing.
He added a few flourishes to his signature.
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Rhetoric. a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect.
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a trumpet call or fanfare.
-
a condition or period of thriving.
in full flourish.
verb
-
(intr) to thrive; prosper
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(intr) to be at the peak of condition
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(intr) to be healthy
plants flourish in the light
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to wave or cause to wave in the air with sweeping strokes
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to display or make a display
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to play (a fanfare, etc) on a musical instrument
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(intr) to embellish writing, characters, etc, with ornamental strokes
-
to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)
-
(intr) an obsolete word for blossom
noun
-
the act of waving or brandishing
-
a showy gesture
he entered with a flourish
-
an ornamental embellishment in writing
-
a display of ornamental language or speech
-
a grandiose passage of music
-
an ostentatious display or parade
-
obsolete
-
the state of flourishing
-
the state of flowering
-
Synonym Usage
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
flourishsimple
-
flourishessimple
-
have flourishedperfect
-
has flourishedperfect
-
am flourishingprogressive
-
are flourishingprogressive
-
is flourishingprogressive
-
have been flourishingperfect progressive
-
has been flourishingperfect progressive
Past
-
flourishedsimple
-
had flourishedperfect
-
was flourishingprogressive
-
were flourishingprogressive
-
had been flourishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flourish
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English florisshen, from Middle French floriss-, long stem of florir, ultimately from Latin flōrēre “to bloom,” derivative of flōs flower
Explanation
A flourish is an extra touch — a trumpet's "ta-ta-da!" announcing a king's entrance, a fancy carving atop an otherwise utilitarian pillar, a wave of a flag or a cheerleader's pompom. Flourish can also mean "growth": "With the right teacher, a child will flourish." To understand how the two meanings of flourish connect, remember that the word "flower" (spelled flour-) is hiding inside it. Flowers are used for decoration and ornamentation, but they also grow. Get it? Good for you! Imagine a cheerleader shouting out your name, flourishing her pom-poms.
Vocabulary lists containing flourish
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The stories of Clark, Willingham and others brought institutional betrayal painfully close: the place where you hoped to learn, belong and flourish can become another place entirely, one where you must fight to be heard.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
With a theatrical flourish, Vance descended from the steps of Air Force Two, the vice presidential jet, and received a rapturous reception as he entered the event in a flag-draped airport hangar.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
It was when she returned, aged 35, that her career really began to flourish.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Bolstered by these donations, new universities would flourish and compete with the Ivy League for the best faculty and the brightest students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Max comes, too, because he’s curious, and I empty my sack with a flourish.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
His trademark flourishes included walls of windows and built-in furniture.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Johnson has apparently instituted a number of USA-style flourishes into the program.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Educational choice matters because one child may thrive in a highly structured classroom, while another flourishes in a school built around the arts, project-based learning or career and technical education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even the song Rock Music is full of manipulated vocals and electronic flourishes.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
He used to write her letters every day, when he still had the strength, long letters in an old- fashioned script with flourishes and curlicues.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
But not for Bloom Energy, the fuel-cell maker that has flourished due to data-center demand.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
Malen is not the only former Premier League player to have flourished in Italy.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Huawei has flourished despite the sanctions, expanding into new businesses, boosting profitability and finding fresh ways to curb its dependence on U.S. suppliers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
She has flourished in her new role, passing for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
With the aid of the marigolds the roses flourished; in the control beds they were sickly and drooping.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Executive education programs are flourishing as business leaders confront an AI landscape they couldn’t have imagined when they were last in a classroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
That might lead to more competition among schools and more student flourishing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Indeed, the words "HELP" and "SOS" have been scratched out in the weeds now flourishing on the exposed lake bed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
He said: "These flourishing shoots are really encouraging and show the special measures we've taken, including reducing soil compaction around the roots and limiting human disturbance, are paying off."
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
At the most obvious level, these numbers confirmed with enhanced precision the self-evident reality that slavery was a sectional phenomenon that was dying out in the North and flourishing in the South.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
