blooming

[bloo-ming]

adjective

1. in bloom; flowering; blossoming.

2. glowing, as with youthful vigor and freshness.

   blooming cheeks.

3. flourishing; prospering.

   a blooming business.

4. Chiefly British Slang.,  (used as an intensifier).

   He's got his blooming nerve.

adverb

1. Chiefly British Slang.,  (used as an intensifier).

   not blooming likely.

blooming

/ ˈbluːmɪŋ /

adverb

1. informal,  (intensifier)

   a blooming genius

   blooming painful

Other Word Forms

• bloomingly adverb
• bloomingness noun
• nonblooming adjective
• preblooming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blooming¹

1350–1400; Middle English; bloom ¹, -ing ²; as intensifier, a euphemism for bloody, by phonetic similarity

Word History and Origins

Origin of blooming¹

C19: euphemistic for _bloody

Example Sentences

When I'm at my most vulnerable, scouring social media for support, I'm slapped in the face by targeted ads of babies giggling, pregnancy bumps blooming, happy families, reminding me of everything I've lost.

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And then the music—tender, blooming, sentimental and unforgettable.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I can also explain why, despite the snickers and stares and perpetually blooming bruises, it’s still worth it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As I squeezed the pedal harder, the animated speedometer—designed a bit like an Aztec sundial, with spiky points blooming around the center—grew in radiance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Certain plants will start to dominate a certain area, and some will be surviving and maybe blooming a little more,” Koons said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• budding 
• flourishing