flourish

[ flur-ish, fluhr- ]

/ ˈflɜr ɪʃ, ˈflʌr- /

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See synonyms for: flourish / flourished / flourishing on Thesaurus.com

Definition of flourish

verb (used without object)

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.

to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc.

to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.

verb (used with object)

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.

noun

an act or instance of brandishing.

an ostentatious display.

a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing: He added a few flourishes to his signature.

Rhetoric. a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect.

a trumpet call or fanfare.

a condition or period of thriving: in full flourish.

OTHER WORDS FOR flourish

1 grow, increase.

9 ornament.

12 ornament, adornment.

See synonyms for flourish on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR flourish

1 fade, decline.

See antonyms for flourish on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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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

synonym study for flourish

1. See succeed.

OTHER WORDS FROM flourish

flour·ish·er, nounoutflourish, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use flourish in a sentence

With an easy swing, cheery bonhomie, and understated brass and string flourishes, this could just about pass as some long lost Sinatra demo.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through November 14)|Singularity Hub Staff|November 14, 2020|Singularity Hub
Mere symbolic gestures and rhetorical flourishes fall short of what is needed to support and sustain the work of people who risk their lives every day.
Veterans Day is a time to consider how to reward front-line covid-19 workers|James Grossman, Laura McEnaney|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
The most exuberant flourish about the show might have been the exclamation mark in the title.
Alex Trebek, quintessential quizmaster as ‘Jeopardy!’ host for three decades, dies at 80|Emily Langer|November 8, 2020|Washington Post
Before ISIS militants surrounded the Syrian city, it had flourished as a place of tolerance and free speech.
Remembering Kobani Before The Siege|Mustafa Abdi, Movements.Org, Advancing Human Rights|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

As the Arabian Peninsula flourished, the area became the center of cultural development.
When Saudi Arabia Ruled the World|Emily Wilson|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The place where jazz and barbeque and mob bosses and the blues flourished.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Mauritania, Chinguetti once flourished with scholars, pilgrims, and religious leaders.
The Lost Libraries of the Sahara‬|Nina Strochlic|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Atlanta soon flourished, becoming the resurgent urban center of an otherwise impoverished South.
Atlanta’s Fall Foretold The End Of Civil War Bloodshed|Marc Wortman|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I prayed for her before the temple, and unto the very end I will seek after her, and she flourished as a grape soon ripe.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Aristide was young, he loved flirtation, and flirtation flourished in the Avenue des Plantanes.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
He flourished in one hand his red mask and in the other a pompon which he had extracted from his pocket.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
It is now about three centuries since there flourished at Cremona its first great violin maker.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
After Andrew, as great makers, come his two sons Antonius and Hieronymus, who flourished from 1550 to 1634.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce

British Dictionary definitions for flourish

flourish

/ (ˈflʌrɪʃ) /

verb

(intr) to thrive; prosper

(intr) to be at the peak of condition

(intr) to be healthyplants flourish in the light

to wave or cause to wave in the air with sweeping strokes

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 gesturehe 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

Derived forms of flourish

flourisher, noun

Word Origin for flourish

C13: from Old French florir, ultimately from Latin flōrēre to flower, from flōs a flower

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

flourish

Definition of flourish

OTHER WORDS FOR flourish

OPPOSITES FOR flourish

Origin of flourish

synonym study for flourish

OTHER WORDS FROM flourish

Words related to flourish

How to use flourish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flourish

Derived forms of flourish

Word Origin for flourish