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.
-
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
-
(intr) to be at the peak of condition
-
(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
-
to play (a fanfare, etc) on a musical instrument
-
(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
A sinister orchestral flourish hints at a double cross.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 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
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
He signs his name with a wobbling flourish, letting the pen drop onto the desk.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
Educational choice matters because one child may thrive in a highly structured classroom, while another flourishes in a school built around the arts, project-based learning or career and technical education.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even the song Rock Music is full of manipulated vocals and electronic flourishes.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Vincent's painting flourishes with the warm weather, growing and changing as Arles fills with blossoming trees.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
But not for Bloom Energy, the fuel-cell maker that has flourished due to data-center demand.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
In recent years, the used-car space flourished as new vehicle prices crossed $50,000 on average.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Malen is not the only former Premier League player to have flourished in Italy.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The 11th in an occasional series of profiles on Southern California athletes who have flourished in their post-playing careers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
He flourished meats and bread baked the day before, dusted a table, invited himself to sit, and ate until he had to go find a soda fountain, where he ordered a bicarbonate.
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
Indeed, the words "HELP" and "SOS" have been scratched out in the weeds now flourishing on the exposed lake bed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
He said: "These flourishing shoots are really encouraging and show the special measures we've taken, including reducing soil compaction around the roots and limiting human disturbance, are paying off."
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Though undisclosed ads violate community guidelines on TikTok, Meta Platforms and YouTube—as well as Federal Trade Commission rules—the ecosystem is flourishing on each platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The civil war in Sudan has further imperilled one of the ancient wonders of the world - the Meroe Pyramids, built during the flourishing civilisation of the Kingdom of Kush.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
While luxury stores, miraculous finance companies, exotic restaurants, and import business were flourishing, the unemployed lined up outside factory gates waiting for a chance to work at the minimum wage.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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