verb
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to grow strongly and vigorously
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to do well; prosper
Usage
What does thrive mean? To thrive is to grow and develop strongly.This sense of the word can be applied to people as well as other living things, including animals and plants.Thrive can also mean to be successful, to be fulfilled, or to develop successfully.Both senses of thrive are often discussed alongside the specific conditions, environment, or situation that allow or help someone or something to thrive. For example, babies thrive in loving homes with the proper nutrition and care. Wild animals tend to thrive when their natural habitat is preserved. Plants thrive when they receive the right amount of sunlight and water. A person might begin to thrive in their career when they work at a place where their talents are appreciated and they’re given the freedom to try new things.The adjective thriving can be used to describe someone or something that is developing successfully or that is being successful.Example: Being around other creative people really helps my writing thrive.
Related Words
See succeed.
Other Word Forms
- thriver noun
- thriving adjective
- thrivingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of thrive
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English thriven, from Old Norse thrīfast “to thrive,” reflexive of thrīfa “to grasp”
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.
“We live out of the motto of community over commodity. We want our community to thrive, and the only way that the community can thrive is if we all come up, right?”
From Los Angeles Times
Xu credited the "world-class business environment" that local officials have built and the region's "complete industrial ecosystem" as a reason that companies like his have thrived.
From BBC
“The only way to have a thriving company is if you have all your staff having a high level of competency.”
ASML’s American counterparts have thrived while software stocks have been decimated.
From Barron's
The real-estate developer, who also lives in Larkspur, Calif., said he believes the area is safe thanks in part to its thriving tourist economy.
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.
