flourish
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To grow well, succeed and do well.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
fluhrishSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈflʌ.ɹɪʃ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
To thrive or grow well.
“The barley flourished in the warm weather.”
To prosper or fare well.
“The cooperation flourished as the customers rushed in the business.”
To make bold, sweeping movements with.
“They flourished the banner as they stormed the palace.”
To develop; to make thrive; to expand.
To adorn with beautiful figures or rhetoric; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish.
To use florid language; to indulge in rhetorical figures and lofty expressions.
noun
An ornamentation.
“His signature ended with a flourish.”
A dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.
“With many flourishes of the captured banner, they marched down the avenue.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To thrive or grow well.
Used this way, flourish is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“The barley flourished in the warm weather.”
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “flourish in …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: flourish in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Thriveverb
“The barley flourished in the warm weather.”
Prosperverb
“The cooperation flourished as the customers rushed in the business.”
Makeverb
“They flourished the banner as they stormed the palace.”
Ornamentationnoun
“His signature ended with a flourish.”
More ways to use flourish
- “She entered with a great flourish.”noun
- “He entered to a flourish of trumpets.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API (CC BY-SA 3.0). Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.