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.
Plenty of incumbents are likely to survive and even thrive as corporate America embraces the wave, they say, particularly those able to adjust their business models to meet the moment.
As in a Tom Wolfe novel, the main characters suffered while the spectators and parasites thrived.
She said the plant is thriving, although she doesn’t know the variety, only that it’s dangly and has leaves that cascade down like a waterfall.
From Los Angeles Times
The southern African country has a thriving elephant population and clashes between humans and wildlife have claimed many lives in recent years.
From BBC
So it can look as if a player has become worse - when in reality, the conditions around them have changed, limiting their chance to thrive.
From BBC
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.
