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

• flourishingly
  adverb
• unflourishing
  adjective

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

But Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long called it "a split-screen economy" where companies and investors involved in artificial intelligence are flourishing while middle- and moderate-income households grapple with cost hikes.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

It isn't only South East Asia - scam centres also flourishing in countries such as India and the UAE.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

But there were countless other people, their names lost to history, who built the institutions that strengthened early American communities and promoted human flourishing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Instead, invest in the companies that best embrace the transformation economy and contribute to human flourishing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 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

Related Words

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