flourish

1 of 2

verb

flour·​ish ˈflər-ish How to pronounce flourish (audio)
ˈflə-rish
flourished; flourishing; flourishes

intransitive verb

1
: to grow luxuriantly : thrive
2
a
: to achieve success : prosper
a flourishing business
b
: to be in a state of activity or production
flourished around 1850
c
: to reach a height of development or influence
The company flourished with record profits under the new owner.
3
: to make bold and sweeping gestures

transitive verb

: to wield with dramatic gestures : brandish
Dressed as a pirate, he entered the stage flourishing his sword.
flourisher noun

flourish

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of brandishing or waving
2
a
: a florid bit of speech or writing
rhetorical flourishes
b
: an ornamental stroke in writing or printing
c
: a decorative or finishing detail
a house with clever little flourishes
3
4
a
: a period of thriving
b
: a luxuriant growth or profusion
a flourish of white hair
a springtime flourish of color
5
: showiness in the doing of something
opened the door with a flourish
6
: a sudden burst
a flourish of activity
Choose the Right Synonym for flourish

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down.

swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

Examples of flourish in a Sentence

Verb plants and animals that flourished here thousands of years ago Regional markets have flourished in recent years. a decorative style that flourished in the 1920s Dressed as a pirate, he entered the stage flourishing his sword. Noun the floral flourishes in the living room a house with many clever little flourishes Her writing style is simple and clear, without unnecessary flourishes. Dinner was served with a flourish. He waved his sword with a flourish. She opened the door with a flourish. With a flourish of her pen, she signed the bill into law.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Josh is able to tap into this spirit that is music and flourish. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Though only a fifth of them lived, the ones that survived have flourished. Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flourish 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flourish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English florisshen "to put forth flowers, bloom, grow luxuriantly, prosper, brandish (a weapon)," borrowed from Anglo-French floriss-, stem of florir, flurir "to bloom, grow abundantly, thrive," going back to Vulgar Latin *flōrīre, restructuring of Latin flōrēscere "to begin to flower, increase in vigor," inchoative derivative of flōrēre "to bloom, prosper, be at the peak of one's powers," stative verbal derivative of flōr-, flōs flower entry 1

Noun

derivative of flourish entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flourish was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near flourish

Cite this Entry

“Flourish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourish. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flourish

1 of 2 verb
flour·​ish ˈflər-ish How to pronounce flourish (audio)
ˈflə-rish
1
: to grow well : thrive
2
b
: to be active
flourished around 1850
3
: to make bold sweeping gestures
4
: to shake or wave around
flourish a sword

flourish

2 of 2 noun
1
: a fancy bit of decoration added to something (as handwriting)
2
: a sweeping motion
3
4
: a period of thriving
5
: a sudden burst
a flourish of activity
Etymology

Verb

Middle English florisshen "to flourish, thrive," from early French floriss-, florir (same meaning), derived from Latin florēre "to blossom, flourish," from flor-, flos "a flower, blossom" — related to florid, flour, flower

More from Merriam-Webster on flourish

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