Meaning & use
we thrive
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Meaning
verbintransitive
We grow strongly, develop well, and are successful or healthy.
Grammar: No object. Often followed by 'on' (what helps us) or 'in' (where we do well).
Patterns
- thrive on something
- thrive in a place/situation
- we thrive
We thrive when we are given challenging projects.
The plants thrive in warm, wet conditions.
Small businesses can thrive in this part of the city.
Word forms
| third person singular | thrives |
|---|---|
| past tense | thrived |
| past participle | thrived |
| -ing form | thriving |
Common combinations
- thrive on pressure
- Some athletes thrive on pressure.
- thrive in a challenging environment
- Creative people often thrive in a challenging environment.
- a thriving business
- She runs a thriving business from home.
- fail to thrive
- The young tree failed to thrive in the dry soil.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flourish
- Very close, but often used for plants and artistic or cultural growth rather than personal success.
- prosper
- More formal and usually about money or business success.
- boom
- Used mainly for economies or industries growing fast, not for people or plants.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: we thrive or strive?
we thrive vs strive
'Strive' means to try very hard, while 'thrive' means to grow and succeed. They sound similar but have different meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'thrive' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Thrive' is intransitive and takes 'on' before the thing that helps it grow. Option 2 has no preposition, option 3 uses the wrong preposition 'to', and option 4 uses a continuous form with a direct object, which is not possible.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “we thrive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.