Meaning & use

flourish

verb·Academic

To grow or develop successfully, or to be in a period of great activity or health.

See it in a sentence

Local businesses began to flourish once the new highway brought more visitors to town.

With regular watering, the tomato plants flourished throughout the summer.

A note on using this word

Flourish applies to people, businesses, plants, and abstract things like art or trade alike.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

declinewither

Another way to use it

2. noun

A bold or elaborate gesture, action, or decorative detail.

He signed the letter with a dramatic flourish of his pen.

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