- present participle of flourish.
flourishing
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flourishing
A Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at flourish, -ing 2
Explanation
When something is flourishing, it's healthy or successful. Your flourishing lemonade stand is especially busy on hot summer afternoons. A flourishing rose bush has glossy green leaves and bright blossoms, and a city's flourishing music scene means you can see live bands every weekend and hear many different types of music. This adjective is used today for anything that's thriving or prospering, but originally it meant "full of flowers," from the Latin root flos, "a flower."
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.
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
This comes as the IPO market has been flourishing until recently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 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
For his 25th reunion, he wrote in a class update that he had nearly died of kidney failure but that his company was flourishing, making more than 30% a year before fees and expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
By the seventh century, the West had withered with the fall of Rome, but the East was flourishing.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
