Meaning & use
prospering
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“prospering” is a form of “prosper”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Becoming successful or wealthy, especially in business or health.
Grammar: Used without an object; often followed by 'despite' or 'even though' to show a contrast.
Patterns
- prospering despite something
- prospering in something
- prospering as something
The small company is prospering despite the economic downturn.
She is prospering in her new role as manager.
The town prospered after the new factory opened.
verbintransitive
Growing well or developing healthily, as a plant or animal.
Grammar: Used without an object; often describes living things in good conditions.
Patterns
- prospering in something
- prospering under conditions
The plants are prospering in the warm, wet climate.
Fish prosper in clean rivers.
Word forms
| third person singular | prospers |
|---|---|
| past tense | prospered |
| past participle | prospered |
| -ing form | prospering |
Common combinations
- prospering economy
- A prospering economy creates new jobs.
- prospering business
- He runs a prospering business in the city.
- prospering despite
- The team is prospering despite the loss of its captain.
- prospering in
- She is prospering in her studies abroad.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thriving
- Thriving emphasizes vigorous growth and health; prospering often suggests financial or overall success.
- flourishing
- Flourishing is more about developing well and being healthy; prospering can also mean becoming rich.
- booming
- Booming describes rapid, often temporary, economic growth; prospering is steadier and broader.
Opposites
Word family
- prosper verb
- To be successful or wealthy.
- prosperity noun
- The state of being successful or wealthy.
- prosperous adjective
- Successful, especially financially.
- prosperously adverb
- In a successful or wealthy way.
Commonly confused: prospering or prospective?
prospering vs prospective
Prospective means 'likely to happen or be' (e.g., a prospective customer); prospering means 'becoming successful'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Prospering is intransitive and often takes 'despite' to show contrast. The other prepositions do not fit this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prospering”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.