Showing results for "flourishing"

• present participle of flourish.

flourishing

American  

[flur-i-shing, fluhr-] / ˈflɜr ɪ ʃɪŋ, ˈflʌr- /

adjective

1. growing vigorously; thriving; prosperous.

   a flourishing little business.

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Other Word Forms

• unflourishing
  adjective
• flourishingly
  adverb

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

See Examples For:

flourishing

It can also help reconstruct the ecology of early Paleozoic oceans, when crinoids were among many early animal groups flourishing in reef ecosystems.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

He ended decades of political dominance by dynastic parties and envisioned a national welfare state modelled on the Islamic golden age of the seventh to 14th centuries, a flourishing period in the Muslim world.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Science denialism comes from many directions, and unfortunately we are in a period where it’s flourishing.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

Pro softball leagues have existed since 1976, but they have lacked the visibility and accessibility imperative to flourishing and gaining popularity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

These cotton mills were big and flourishing and most of the workers in the town were poor.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

• blooming
• burgeoning
• expanding
• growing
• prosperous
• thriving