- 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.
Influencer culture is flourishing, but the idea of people being moved to action is as old as the Bible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
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
Her new parternship with 20-year-old Lexi Potter is flourishing and has allowed Walsh to get further up the pitch and play with more freedom.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Human flourishing has never been measured in job titles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
I’d had so many careful, sensible conversations at this point, with so many people, about how to extract myself from a career in which, by all outward measures, I was flourishing.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
