verb
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to grow strongly and vigorously
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to do well; prosper
Usage
What does thrive mean? To thrive is to grow and develop strongly.This sense of the word can be applied to people as well as other living things, including animals and plants.Thrive can also mean to be successful, to be fulfilled, or to develop successfully.Both senses of thrive are often discussed alongside the specific conditions, environment, or situation that allow or help someone or something to thrive. For example, babies thrive in loving homes with the proper nutrition and care. Wild animals tend to thrive when their natural habitat is preserved. Plants thrive when they receive the right amount of sunlight and water. A person might begin to thrive in their career when they work at a place where their talents are appreciated and they’re given the freedom to try new things.The adjective thriving can be used to describe someone or something that is developing successfully or that is being successful.Example: Being around other creative people really helps my writing thrive.
Related Words
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
- thriver noun
- thriving adjective
- thrivingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of thrive
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English thriven, from Old Norse thrīfast “to thrive,” reflexive of thrīfa “to grasp”
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.
This process, known as chemosynthesis, allows life to thrive without photosynthesis.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
He sees several reasons to believe in Microsoft and its ability to thrive in the evolving AI ecosystem.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
If U.S. markets thrive, then we can truly call them resilient.
From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026
While the established beavers at Little Sea continue to thrive raising kits, the new arrivals have set up home at an undisclosed location away from their original release site.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
They hadn’t counted on the highly controlled jabberjay having the brains to adapt to the wild, to pass on its genetic code, to thrive in a new form.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
