flourish
Americanverb (used without object)
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to be in a vigorous state; thrive.
a period in which art flourished.
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to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.
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to be successful; prosper.
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to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant.
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to make dramatic, sweeping gestures.
Flourish more when you act out the king's great death scene.
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to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc.
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to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.
verb (used with object)
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to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with.
a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.
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to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.
- Synonyms:
- ornament
noun
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an act or instance of brandishing.
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an ostentatious display.
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a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing.
He added a few flourishes to his signature.
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Rhetoric. a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect.
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a trumpet call or fanfare.
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a condition or period of thriving.
in full flourish.
verb
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(intr) to thrive; prosper
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(intr) to be at the peak of condition
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(intr) to be healthy
plants flourish in the light
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to wave or cause to wave in the air with sweeping strokes
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to display or make a display
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to play (a fanfare, etc) on a musical instrument
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(intr) to embellish writing, characters, etc, with ornamental strokes
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to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)
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(intr) an obsolete word for blossom
noun
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the act of waving or brandishing
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a showy gesture
he entered with a flourish
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an ornamental embellishment in writing
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a display of ornamental language or speech
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a grandiose passage of music
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an ostentatious display or parade
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obsolete
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the state of flourishing
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the state of flowering
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Synonym Usage
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flourishsimple
-
flourishessimple
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have flourishedperfect
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has flourishedperfect
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am flourishingprogressive
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are flourishingprogressive
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is flourishingprogressive
-
have been flourishingperfect progressive
-
has been flourishingperfect progressive
Past
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flourishedsimple
-
had flourishedperfect
-
was flourishingprogressive
-
were flourishingprogressive
-
had been flourishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
A flourish is an extra touch — a trumpet's "ta-ta-da!" announcing a king's entrance, a fancy carving atop an otherwise utilitarian pillar, a wave of a flag or a cheerleader's pompom. Flourish can also mean "growth": "With the right teacher, a child will flourish." To understand how the two meanings of flourish connect, remember that the word "flower" (spelled flour-) is hiding inside it. Flowers are used for decoration and ornamentation, but they also grow. Get it? Good for you! Imagine a cheerleader shouting out your name, flourishing her pom-poms.
Vocabulary lists containing flourish
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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.
See Examples For:
When value creation is distributed across multiple firms, companies up and down the supply chain flourish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
We’re quick to cut off those we disagree with, and the conditions that might allow for empathy to flourish — time, attention, presence and vulnerability — are increasingly scarce.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The combination also changed the community's internal balance by allowing some bacterial species to flourish while others declined.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Towards the end of the night, just before a closer with the Faces’ “Ooh La La,” Murray brought out a one-of-a-kind instrument for a big flourish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
With Rush, however, Adams began to slip Jefferson into their conversation as an example of the kind of enigmatic temperament destined to flourish in the history books.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Likewise, Paris Fashion Week isn’t known to feature designers whose collections can be worn off the rack, instead showcasing works of great sartorial ambition, with severe silhouettes and playful flourishes alike.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
In the mango-growing heartland of Tando Allahyar, Mohammad Shakeel manages orchards that grow the golden-yellow Sindhri variety, named after the province where it flourishes and famous for its rich flavour and juicy pulp.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
Instead of the large-studio presence, this year’s festival offered an intriguing mix of provocative films from around the globe, featuring hot button issues, occasional movie stars and artistic flourishes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
The mise en scène is sumptuously prepared with flourishes of rococo drollery.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
The five cabinet members then rolled up the large parchment and, with many bows and flourishes, retired.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
Both industries have flourished in a world of falling interest rates, plentiful leverage and abundant global capital.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Huges said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine flourished by necessity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
France and Morocco moved on Thursday to strengthen a renewed partnership that has flourished over the past two years, with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu hailing "exceptionally positive" ties in Rabat.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
The big studios slowly learned the art of the franchise blockbuster while the independent sector flourished.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
But as large farms flourished, the small ones struggled.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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
The secret to human flourishing may be as simple as ignoring Negative Nikki.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The only real question is whether that transformation is imposed on us for the benefit of a tiny ownership class, or created in partnership with us, as a genuine expansion of shared human flourishing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
In his first campaign at Anfield, Wirtz too often appeared a square peg in a round hole, playing in behind the strikers as well on the flanks, but never flourishing.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
While luxury stores, miraculous finance companies, exotic restaurants, and import business were flourishing, the unemployed lined up outside factory gates waiting for a chance to work at the minimum wage.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
