Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Flourishing, flowering: In a state of health, vigor, and beauty; literally, bearing flowers.
   • Informal intensifier: Used as a mild, euphemistic swear word to add emphasis, expressing annoyance, surprise, or to intensify a description.

2. Noun:

   • The process of bearing flowers: The organic process by which a plant produces its blossoms.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective (Flourishing):

  • The garden is blooming with roses this spring.
  • She looked blooming with health after her vacation.

• Adjective (Informal intensifier):

  • It's a blooming shame they cancelled the concert.
  • Where's that blooming key? I can't find it anywhere.

• Noun:

  • The blooming of the cherry trees is a major tourist attraction.
  • To ensure continuous blooming, deadhead the spent flowers.

Advanced Usage

• "in (full) bloom": At the peak stage of flowering or development.
  • The apple trees are in full bloom. (Note: This idiom uses the base noun "bloom," not the adjective "blooming.")
  • Her talent as a painter was in full bloom.

Variants and Related Words

• Bloom (noun/verb): The flower or state of flowering (n); to produce flowers or to flourish (v).

  • The tulips are in bloom.
  • Her confidence began to bloom.

• Bloomer (noun, informal): A mistake or blunder.

  • I made a real bloomer by forgetting his name.

• Blooming (as a gerund): The verbal noun form.

  • Blooming requires the right amount of sunlight and water.

Synonyms

• Adjective (Flourishing): Thriving, flourishing, radiant, glowing.
• Adjective (Intensifier): Confounded, blasted, flaming, wretched.
• Noun: Flowering, blossoming, florescence, efflorescence.

Antonyms

• Adjective (Flourishing): Withering, fading, wilting, declining.
• Noun: Withering, fading.

Notes on Usage

• The informal, intensifying use of "blooming" (e.g., ) is considered old-fashioned or British English. It is a mild expletive, often used to avoid stronger language.
• The primary and formal meaning relates to flowers and figurative health or beauty.

Adjective

1. informal intensifiers
   • what a bally (or blinking) nuisance
   • a bloody fool
   • a crashing bore
   • you flaming idiot

Noun

1. the organic process of bearing flowers
   • you will stop all bloom if you let the flowers go to seed