Meaning & use
to flourish
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To grow well and be healthy, especially for plants.
Grammar: No object; often used with plants or crops.
Patterns
- plants flourish
- flourish in something
These flowers flourish in sunny gardens.
The crops flourished after the rainy season.
With proper care, the seedlings will flourish.
verbintransitive
To be successful and develop quickly, especially in business or art.
Grammar: No object; often used with people, companies, or economies.
Patterns
- businesses flourish
- flourish under someone
The company flourished under new management.
Her artistic career flourished in the 1990s.
Small businesses can flourish in a supportive community.
verbintransitive
To be very active or noticeable, especially in a particular place or time.
Grammar: Often used with abstract things like ideas or cultures.
Patterns
- flourish in something
- flourish during something
Democracy flourished in the ancient city.
Trade flourished along the Silk Road.
Creativity flourishes when people feel safe.
Word forms
| third person singular | flourishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | flourished |
| past participle | flourished |
| -ing form | flourishing |
Common combinations
- flourish in
- Tropical plants flourish in humid climates.
- flourish under
- The team flourished under her leadership.
- begin to flourish
- After the initial struggles, the business began to flourish.
- flourishing economy
- The country enjoyed a flourishing economy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thrive
- Thrive is very similar but often implies vigorous growth and success; flourish can also mean to be active or noticeable.
- prosper
- Prosper is more about financial success and wealth, while flourish is broader.
- bloom
- Bloom is often used for flowers and can mean to become healthy or successful, but it is more literal.
Opposites
Word family
- flourishing adjective
- Growing or developing successfully.
- flourish noun
- A dramatic gesture or decoration, especially in handwriting.
Commonly confused: to flourish or nourish?
to flourish vs nourish
Nourish means to provide with food or care to help grow, while flourish means to grow well yourself.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Flourish' is intransitive, so it does not take a direct object. Option 0 correctly uses 'flourish in'. Option 1 lacks a preposition; option 2 uses 'are flourish' incorrectly; option 3 uses 'to' instead of 'in'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to flourish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.