flourish

[flur-ish, fluhr-]

verb (used without object)

1. to be in a vigorous state; thrive.

   a period in which art flourished.

   Synonyms: increase, grow
   Antonyms: decline, fade

2. to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.

3. to be successful; prosper.

4. to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant.

5. to make dramatic, sweeping gestures.

   Flourish more when you act out the king's great death scene.

6. to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc.

7. to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.

verb (used with object)

1. to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with.

   a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.

2. to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.

   Synonyms: ornament

noun

1. an act or instance of brandishing.

2. an ostentatious display.

3. a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing.

   He added a few flourishes to his signature.

   Synonyms: adornment, ornament

4. Rhetoric.,  a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect.

5. a trumpet call or fanfare.

6. a condition or period of thriving.

   in full flourish.

flourish

/ ˈflʌrɪʃ /

verb

1. (intr) to thrive; prosper

2. (intr) to be at the peak of condition

3. (intr) to be healthy

   plants flourish in the light

4. to wave or cause to wave in the air with sweeping strokes

5. to display or make a display

6. to play (a fanfare, etc) on a musical instrument

7. (intr) to embellish writing, characters, etc, with ornamental strokes

8. to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)

9. (intr) an obsolete word for blossom

noun

1. the act of waving or brandishing

2. a showy gesture

   he entered with a flourish

3. an ornamental embellishment in writing

4. a display of ornamental language or speech

5. a grandiose passage of music

6. an ostentatious display or parade

7. obsolete

   1. the state of flourishing

   2. the state of flowering

Other Word Forms

• flourisher noun
• outflourish verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of flourish¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English florisshen, from Middle French floriss-, long stem of florir, ultimately from Latin flōrēre “to bloom,” derivative of flōs flower

Word History and Origins

Origin of flourish¹

C13: from Old French florir , ultimately from Latin flōrēre to flower, from flōs a flower

Synonym Study

See succeed.

Example Sentences

"Over the course of the last 10 years it's really flourished, and now I feel like everyone around me -- including my parents -- have all started to learn about EDM," he said.

Read more on Barron's

Over the next 90 or so years, the club largely flourished.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The publisher said the takeover would preserve the paper’s editorial independence, ensuring its “journalism can flourish long into the future and on the world stage.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The handsome color options are just the extra flourish.

Read more on Salon

There are echoes of Run-D.M.C. and some arena rock flourishes in the score.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bloom 
• blossom 
• boom 
• develop 
• do well 
• expand 
• multiply 
• succeed 
• thrive