burgeon

or bour·geon

[ bur-juhn ]

/ ˈbɜr dʒən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR burgeon ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor.

to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant (often followed by out, forth).

verb (used with object)

to put forth, as buds.

noun

a bud; sprout.

Nearby words

burg, burgage, burgas, burgee, burgenland, burgeon, burger, burgess, burgess shale, burgh, burgher

Origin of burgeon

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English burjon, burion shoot, bud < Anglo-French burjun, burg(e)on; Old French burjon < Vulgar Latin *burriōne(m), accusative of *burriō, derivative of Late Latin burra wool, fluff (cf. bourrée, bureau), presumably from the down covering certain buds; (v.) Middle English burg(e)onen, borgen < Anglo-French, Old French, derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR burgeon

1 bloom, blossom, mushroom, expand.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR burgeon ON THESAURUS.COM

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for burgeoning

Such is her burgeoning popularity Toomey is looking to employ more instructors to lead her highly personalized exercise classes.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For the aficionado or the neophyte, Comics is a useful overview of a richly creative period in a burgeoning art.
The Best Coffee Table Books of 2014|Robert Birnbaum|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The popularity of anime tales featuring man-on-man passion is burgeoning among Japanese women.
The Japanese Women Who Love Gay Anime|Brandon Presser|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But just what is driving such an exciting, burgeoning expansion of hip-hop?
From Public Enemy to Power Broker: Hip-Hop’s the New Global Pop Culture|Lauren DeLisa Coleman|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This has led to a burgeoning industry of small businesses, founded and run by women specializing in eco-friendly hygiene products.
The Next Big Environmental Fight: Tampons?|Keli Goff|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No whim of the spirit, no burgeoning of the heart, leads him to give more of his labor power than they for a certain sum.
War of the Classes|Jack London
All about, in nature and in human kind, she felt the spring burgeoning, and within herself she felt it most of all.
The Nest Builder|Beatrice Forbes-Robertson Hale
Sound introduction to burgeoning field, expanded for second edition.
Life Histories of North American Wood Warblers Part One and Part Two|Arthur Bent
The young girl, burgeoning into a marvelous womanhood, sat before him like an embodied spirit.
Carmen Ariza|Charles Francis Stocking
At eighteen one does so pathetically try to feed the burgeoning life with the husks of polite accomplishment.
The Incomplete Amorist|E. Nesbit

British Dictionary definitions for burgeoning

burgeon

bourgeon

/ (ˈbɜːdʒən) /

verb

(often foll by forth or out) (of a plant) to sprout (buds)

(intr ; often foll by forth or out) to develop or grow rapidly; flourish

noun

a bud of a plant

Word Origin for burgeon

C13: from Old French burjon, perhaps ultimately from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth; from the downiness of certain buds

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012