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.
-
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.
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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.
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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
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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 influx of investment and dedicated citizenry has helped the San Gabriel Valley suburb flourish economically and culturally, earning it the nickname the “Chinese Beverly Hills.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
We learn language by imitation and need some form of community and cooperation to flourish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
"As parents, the initial shock was devastating, but we are now seeing Ophelia flourish."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Placing famous directors in front of the camera is a classic auteur filmmaker flourish, and Safdie is both an actor and a director mainly associated with indie films.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
The final page contains his own signature, a flourish of illegible C’s, carefully snipped from a piece of paper that might have been an invoice or a letter.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Likewise, Paris Fashion Week isn’t known to feature designers whose collections can be worn off the rack, instead showcasing works of great sartorial ambition, with severe silhouettes and playful flourishes alike.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
“I’m invincible as grief,” she sings on the opening title track, a steadily building 8½-minute epic filled with improvisational flourishes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
In the mango-growing heartland of Tando Allahyar, Mohammad Shakeel manages orchards that grow the golden-yellow Sindhri variety, named after the province where it flourishes and famous for its rich flavour and juicy pulp.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
The mise en scène is sumptuously prepared with flourishes of rococo drollery.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Being in Berkeley, home to many fine restaurants, I felt compelled to add a few over-the-top menu flourishes: The last item was one of Angelo’s homemade wines.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Both industries have flourished in a world of falling interest rates, plentiful leverage and abundant global capital.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Huges said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine flourished by necessity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
One of the attackers who helped Argentina overcome England in their semi-final, Alvarez has flourished at Atletico Madrid since his 2024 move from Manchester City.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu hailing "exceptionally positive" ties in Rabat.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Every now and then we stumble on a major civilization, such as the ancient culture of Ebla, which flourished only a few millennia ago and about which we knew nothing.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
It can also help reconstruct the ecology of early Paleozoic oceans, when crinoids were among many early animal groups flourishing in reef ecosystems.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
He ended decades of political dominance by dynastic parties and envisioned a national welfare state modelled on the Islamic golden age of the seventh to 14th centuries, a flourishing period in the Muslim world.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Meanwhile, Steven’s wife, Lucy, the driven co-founder of a flourishing social-impact investment fund, pays all the expenses that come with the family’s haute Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., lifestyle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Science denialism comes from many directions, and unfortunately we are in a period where it’s flourishing.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even plants introduced to the islands are flourishing.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
