flourish
Americanverb (used without object)
-
flourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flourished,
past participle, past
-
flourishing
present participle
-
to be in a vigorous state; thrive.
a period in which art flourished.
-
to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.
-
to be successful; prosper.
-
to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant.
-
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)
-
flourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flourished,
past participle, past
-
flourishing
present participle
-
to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with.
a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.
-
to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.
- Synonyms:
- ornament
noun
-
flourishes
plural
-
an act or instance of brandishing.
-
an ostentatious display.
-
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
-
(intr) to thrive; prosper
-
(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
-
to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)
-
(intr) an obsolete word for blossom
noun
-
the act of waving or brandishing
-
a showy gesture
he entered with a flourish
-
an ornamental embellishment in writing
-
a display of ornamental language or speech
-
a grandiose passage of music
-
an ostentatious display or parade
-
obsolete
-
the state of flourishing
-
the state of flowering
-
Synonym Usage
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
flourishsimple
-
flourishessimple
-
have flourishedperfect
-
has flourishedperfect
-
am flourishingprogressive
-
are flourishingprogressive
-
is flourishingprogressive
-
have been flourishingperfect progressive
-
has been flourishingperfect progressive
Past
-
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:
He added that local people valued and enjoyed places such as Harding's Pits and surrounding green spaces, where habitats could flourish.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
The electric automaker on Thursday unveiled its second-generation sports car with a flourish of engineering prowess.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
With a theatrical flourish, Vance descended from the steps of Air Force Two, the vice presidential jet, and received a rapturous reception as he entered the event in a flag-draped airport hangar.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
She said she would continue to coach and support the league so it could continue to succeed and flourish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“If you had cilantro and cumin, you could make this even yummier,” I say, scraping the scrambled potato-egg mixture onto a plate and handing it to Justin with a flourish.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
His trademark flourishes included walls of windows and built-in furniture.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
That, of course, is how a business flourishes in changing and challenging times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Johnson has apparently instituted a number of USA-style flourishes into the program.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Surrounded by the gold-leaf flourishes that now line the walls of the Oval Office, they tell him they’re headed out on the great American road trip, and he looks like he couldn’t care less.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Mrs. Hameed flourishes the wooden spoon she’s holding, as if she’s the new Doctor Who and the spoon is her sonic screwdriver.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
As private enterprise flourished in the 1990s, he joined with a Dutch businessman to import electronic goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
But not for Bloom Energy, the fuel-cell maker that has flourished due to data-center demand.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
Malen is not the only former Premier League player to have flourished in Italy.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
She has flourished in her new role, passing for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The wineries flourished for three decades; the art colony collapsed within a few months.
From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser
Good Ventures’ website home page reads: “We aim to accelerate progress, reduce suffering, and mitigate the greatest risks to a flourishing world.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Executive education programs are flourishing as business leaders seek additional training and a safe space to commiserate with their peers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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
He said: "These flourishing shoots are really encouraging and show the special measures we've taken, including reducing soil compaction around the roots and limiting human disturbance, are paying off."
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The flourishing field of evolutionary psychology argues that many of our present-day social and psychological characteristics were shaped during this long pre-agricultural era.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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