burgeon
Americanverb (used without object)
-
burgeons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
burgeoned,
past participle, past
-
burgeoning
present participle
-
to grow or develop quickly; flourish.
The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor.
-
to be brimming or filled to bursting; abound (usually followed by with).
All the new students are burgeoning with energy and potential. The kitchen drawers were burgeoning with tea towels.
-
to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant (often followed byout, forth ).
verb (used with object)
-
burgeons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
burgeoned,
past participle, past
-
burgeoning
present participle
noun
verb
-
(of a plant) to sprout (buds)
-
(intr; often foll by forth or out) to develop or grow rapidly; flourish
noun
Usage
The two senses of burgeon, “to bud” ( The maples are burgeoning ) and “to grow or flourish” ( The suburbs around the city have been burgeoning under the impact of commercial growth ), date from the 14th century. Today the sense “to grow or flourish” is the more common. Occasionally, objections are raised to the use of this sense, perhaps because of its popularity in journalistic writing.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
burgeonsimple
-
burgeonssimple
-
have burgeonedperfect
-
has burgeonedperfect
-
am burgeoningprogressive
-
are burgeoningprogressive
-
is burgeoningprogressive
-
have been burgeoningperfect progressive
-
has been burgeoningperfect progressive
Past
-
burgeonedsimple
-
had burgeonedperfect
-
was burgeoningprogressive
-
were burgeoningprogressive
-
had been burgeoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of burgeon
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun burjon, burion “shoot, bud,” from Anglo-French burjun, burg(e)on; Old French burjon, from unattested Vulgar Latin burriōne(m), accusative of unattested burriō, derivative of Late Latin burra “wool, fluff“ ( cf. bourrée, bureau), presumably from the down covering certain buds; verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
Use the verb burgeon to describe something that is growing, expanding, and flourishing. If you have a green thumb, in the spring your flower gardens may burgeon. If you don't have a green thumb, your collection of plastic plants may burgeon. Although burgeon means to grow and flourish, it doesn't necessarily have to apply only to plants. Your town can have burgeoning downtown development. Your tiny retirement account can burgeon into an excellent emergency fund if you invest even a small amount each month. You may have a burgeoning career as a villain if you overthrow a planet by using your mind-controlling ray gun on the populace.
Vocabulary lists containing burgeon
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
If the 20% mandate were in place now, for example, EPSCoR’s budget would burgeon to about $1.75 billion.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 2, 2022
Even beyond the pandemic, he feels optimistic that the business will continue to burgeon — especially in the toilet-paper-loving U.S., where he sees a broad horizon for growth, especially among environmentally conscious consumers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2021
As a result, the second joey, after it is born and has grown in the pouch, will be exiting the pouch around the time that spring grasses burgeon, when there is plenty to eat.
From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2020
The season’s traditions burgeon with messages of brotherhood and good will.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 23, 2019
There, postponing the process of vegetation, it waits for the steady rains of the autumn, which will renew its strength and make it burgeon into a sheaf of leaves.
From The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos
Lithium ion batteries are expected to remain the dominant battery chemistry as the industry burgeons, especially in transportation.
From Reuters ● Aug. 6, 2021
The music burgeons and recedes, with different instrumental groups sometimes at odds with each other, sometimes in sync.
From New York Times ● Nov. 26, 2020
Its emphasis falls on the folly of killing the thing that you wish would endure; terror burgeons in the gap between what was desired and what was achieved.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 21, 2019
His childlike curiosity burgeons into an adolescent’s need for experimentation and, finally, independence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2017
Madame Manec’s energy, Marie-Laure is learning, is extraordinary; she burgeons, shoots off stalks, wakes early, works late, concocts bisques without a drop of cream, loaves with less than a cup of flour.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
They acted, in effect, as lower court federal judges, until business and commerce and the law burgeoned.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2025
But as Jiang’s fame burgeoned, criticism and scepticism surrounding her skills also started to bubble.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2024
These days, however, the notion of engaging children has burgeoned like never before, with programs that are increasingly innovative, engaging and fresh, experts in the field say.
From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
As the war in Gaza nears the six-month mark, the humanitarian situation has burgeoned into a full-blown crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
Or here was the law: as his life diminished, theirs burgeoned, requiring attention.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Her natural acting ability was evident, but the burgeoning childhood career came at a cost.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
In era when so much about the news is just plain depressing, what stands out about the burgeoning public rebellion against Flock security cameras is just how fun it all is.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
On Monday, it said the IPO was more than 8,000 times oversubscribed by retail investors, a sign that interest in the burgeoning industry is strong.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The burgeoning young composer organized Bernstein’s music archives, sat in on recording sessions and audited his senior-level classes for three years while studying at the Thornton School of Music at USC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
At home, burgeoning manhood was a trigger for apprehension.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
