flourish
Americanverb (used without object)
-
flourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flourished,
past participle, past
-
flourishing
present participle
-
to be in a vigorous state; thrive.
a period in which art flourished.
-
to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.
-
to be successful; prosper.
-
to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant.
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to make dramatic, sweeping gestures.
Flourish more when you act out the king's great death scene.
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to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc.
-
to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.
verb (used with object)
-
flourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flourished,
past participle, past
-
flourishing
present participle
-
to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with.
a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.
-
to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.
- Synonyms:
- ornament
noun
-
flourishes
plural
-
an act or instance of brandishing.
-
an ostentatious display.
-
a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing.
He added a few flourishes to his signature.
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Rhetoric. a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect.
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a trumpet call or fanfare.
-
a condition or period of thriving.
in full flourish.
verb
-
(intr) to thrive; prosper
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(intr) to be at the peak of condition
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(intr) to be healthy
plants flourish in the light
-
to wave or cause to wave in the air with sweeping strokes
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to display or make a display
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to play (a fanfare, etc) on a musical instrument
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(intr) to embellish writing, characters, etc, with ornamental strokes
-
to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)
-
(intr) an obsolete word for blossom
noun
-
the act of waving or brandishing
-
a showy gesture
he entered with a flourish
-
an ornamental embellishment in writing
-
a display of ornamental language or speech
-
a grandiose passage of music
-
an ostentatious display or parade
-
obsolete
-
the state of flourishing
-
the state of flowering
-
Synonym Usage
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
flourishsimple
-
flourishessimple
-
have flourishedperfect
-
has flourishedperfect
-
am flourishingprogressive
-
are flourishingprogressive
-
is flourishingprogressive
-
have been flourishingperfect progressive
-
has been flourishingperfect progressive
Past
-
flourishedsimple
-
had flourishedperfect
-
was flourishingprogressive
-
were flourishingprogressive
-
had been flourishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flourish
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
Explanation
A flourish is an extra touch — a trumpet's "ta-ta-da!" announcing a king's entrance, a fancy carving atop an otherwise utilitarian pillar, a wave of a flag or a cheerleader's pompom. Flourish can also mean "growth": "With the right teacher, a child will flourish." To understand how the two meanings of flourish connect, remember that the word "flower" (spelled flour-) is hiding inside it. Flowers are used for decoration and ornamentation, but they also grow. Get it? Good for you! Imagine a cheerleader shouting out your name, flourishing her pom-poms.
Vocabulary lists containing flourish
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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:
The stories of Clark, Willingham and others brought institutional betrayal painfully close: the place where you hoped to learn, belong and flourish can become another place entirely, one where you must fight to be heard.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
Tyler placed it between us with an elegant flourish; the steam carried the scent of glorious-secret spices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
There was still significant investment, but on younger players who could be moulded by his philosophy and discipline while given room to flourish.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
With a theatrical flourish, Vance descended from the steps of Air Force Two, the vice presidential jet, and received a rapturous reception as he entered the event in a flag-draped airport hangar.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
She ended with a farewell and the largest flourish of all—Hattie.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
His trademark flourishes included walls of windows and built-in furniture.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Johnson has apparently instituted a number of USA-style flourishes into the program.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
This Vanguart timepiece, commissioned by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, has several geeky flourishes, including an inscription written in Python programming language.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Surrounded by the gold-leaf flourishes that now line the walls of the Oval Office, they tell him they’re headed out on the great American road trip, and he looks like he couldn’t care less.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Some are large and decorated with flourishes and long descriptions of their contents.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
But she flourished on the show, lasting right up to Thursday's semi-final.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
But not for Bloom Energy, the fuel-cell maker that has flourished due to data-center demand.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
While trade in goods has flourished despite the war, the WTO lowered its forecast for growth in the trade in services to reflect the disruptions to tourism and transport caused by the conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
She has flourished in her new role, passing for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Both Adams and Jefferson, it turned out, were too deeply shaped by the desperate struggle against England to foresee the Anglo-American alliance that flourished throughout the Victorian era and beyond.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
He threw himself enthusiastically into the flourishing local theatre.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
My brother and his wife live in a wooded section of town, where a dawn redwood is already flourishing on their property.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
He also threw himself enthusiastically into the flourishing local theatre.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Good Ventures’ website home page reads: “We aim to accelerate progress, reduce suffering, and mitigate the greatest risks to a flourishing world.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
While visiting the barn to oversee his horses, Giannini noticed how Oriley was flourishing under Smith’s care.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
