flourish
Americanverb (used without object)
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to be in a vigorous state; thrive.
a period in which art flourished.
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to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.
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to be successful; prosper.
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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.
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to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.
verb (used with object)
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to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with.
a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.
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to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.
- Synonyms:
- ornament
noun
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an act or instance of brandishing.
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an ostentatious display.
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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
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(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
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to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)
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(intr) an obsolete word for blossom
noun
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the act of waving or brandishing
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a showy gesture
he entered with a flourish
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an ornamental embellishment in writing
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a display of ornamental language or speech
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a grandiose passage of music
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an ostentatious display or parade
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obsolete
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the state of flourishing
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the state of flowering
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Synonym Usage
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has flourishedperfect 3rd person singular
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have flourishedperfect
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is flourishingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been flourishingperfect progressive
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flourishingparticiple
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flourishessingular 3rd person
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are flourishingprogressive
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has been flourishingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am flourishingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had flourishedperfect
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was flourishingprogressive singular
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were flourishingprogressive plural
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had been flourishingperfect progressive
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flourishedsimple
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flourishedparticiple
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.
The vocoder styling flourish of closing track “Into the Sun” gives one final mood shift as the almost achingly sweet vocals and lyrics transport listeners to a realm of sentiment and gratitude.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Wie West opened her round with a flourish, crushing her tee shot 293 yards down the left side.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
He also said he would cut red tape and taxes so businesses could flourish in Colombia’s market economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
India today is marked by soaring inequality, chronic youth unemployment and deepening economic insecurity - conditions in which Marxist politics might once have been expected to flourish.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
She ended with a slow, subdued flourish of treble chords and finally one soft single bass note, like a Graphophone winding down.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
