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. See blossom
   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

Derived Forms

• ˈflourisher, noun

Other Words From

• flourish·er noun
• outflourish 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

Tatel’s writing is sparse and not prone to rhetorical flourishes.

From Washington Post

We will not even speak of lattices and other decorative flourishes.

From Washington Post

The Switch does not lack visual innovation or artistic flourishes necessary to create inarguably beautiful games whose visuals fully justify playing them on a really big-screen TV.

From Popular-Science

In fact it was just those flourishes — seen as revolutionary at the time — that reportedly turned off old-school members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ documentary branch.

From Washington Post

Roasted red peppers and an orange shellfish emulsion lend color to the classic, which is staged in a blue bowl for even more flourish.

From Washington Post

More: He derives genuine pleasure from watching something he created flourish.

From The Daily Beast

Her father gazes back at her happily, tips his hat, and bows with a flourish.

From The Daily Beast

He has a lean, crackling energy about him, a sense of dramatic flourish, a resonant voice that is not unaware of its own music.

From The Daily Beast

This fact was revealed with a flourish during a Life Lesson on the importance of discretion, which is a story for another day.

From The Daily Beast

Jazz festivals flourish by tapping into this allure of jazz—but increasingly fill their stages with artists from other genres.

From The Daily Beast

In such conditions many kinds which do not flourish very freely in the open garden, grow into handsome specimens.

From Project Gutenberg

He bowed, with a flourish of his plumed hat, and would with that have taken his departure but that the Seneschal stayed him.

From Project Gutenberg

Virginia leaf still continues to flourish, and to-day it is the great agricultural product of the State.

From Project Gutenberg

That is, the number of them cut short, and reduced to few, shall flourish in abundance of justice.

From Project Gutenberg

Socialism, like every other impassioned human effort, will flourish best under martyrdom.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• embellishment
• ornamentation
• quirk
• twist