Meaning & use
thrive
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To grow, develop, or succeed strongly and healthily.
Grammar: No object; suggests more than merely surviving.
Patterns
- thrive in an environment
- children thrive
- business thrives
- thrive under pressure
Plants thrive in the sunny corner of the garden.
The children thrived after moving to a quieter school.
Her small bakery is thriving despite high rents.
verbintransitive
To become stronger or do well because of a difficult condition rather than in spite of it.
Grammar: Commonly follows the fixed pattern “thrive on.”
Patterns
- thrive on pressure
- thrive on attention
- thrive on challenge
Some athletes thrive on pressure before a big match.
The team thrives on constructive criticism.
She seems to thrive on very little sleep, though it is not healthy.
Word forms
| third person singular | thrives |
|---|---|
| past tense | thrived |
| past participle | thrived |
| -ing form | thriving |
Common combinations
- thrive in
- Ferns thrive in shade and steady moisture.
- thrive on pressure
- He thrives on pressure and makes calm decisions late in games.
- thrive under pressure
- Editors often thrive under pressure near a deadline.
- business is thriving
- Business is thriving now that delivery has improved.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flourish
- Flourish suggests healthy growth or success, often more elegant or noticeable than thrive.
- prosper
- Prosper emphasizes material success, especially financial.
- bloom
- Bloom fits plants, children, or talents developing beautifully.
- boom
- Boom means rapid growth, especially in business or population.
Opposites
Word family
- thriving adjective
- Growing, active, and successful.
Commonly confused: thrive or strive?
thrive vs strive
Thrive means to do well; strive means to try hard toward a goal.
Practice
Complete the sentence: “She thrives ___ tight deadlines.”
Choose one answer.
“Thrive on” means difficult conditions help someone perform well. “At,” “for,” and “with” do not form this established pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thrive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.