Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Growing or developing in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment or set of conditions. This is the core meaning, describing something that is thriving, successful, and prospering.
   • Characterized by lively and profitable activity. This sense emphasizes economic or commercial success and energetic growth.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The city's flourishing arts scene attracts visitors from around the world.
  • After years of careful investment, the company is now a flourishing enterprise.
  • She has a flourishing career in scientific research.

Advanced Usage

• "to be flourishing": to be in a state of vigorous growth and success.
  • The community garden is flourishing thanks to the volunteers' hard work.
• Used to describe abstract concepts like cultures, traditions, or ideas.
  • During the Renaissance, art and learning were flourishing.

Variants and Related Words

• Flourish (verb): to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way.
  • The plants flourish in direct sunlight.
• Flourishingly (adverb): in a flourishing manner. (Less common)
  • The business continued flourishingly for decades.

Synonyms

• Thriving: growing or developing well or vigorously.
• Prosperous: successful in material terms; flourishing financially.
• Booming: having a period of great prosperity or rapid economic growth.
• Burgeoning: beginning to grow or increase rapidly; flourishing.

Antonyms

• Declining: becoming smaller, fewer, or less; decreasing.
• Failing: not achieving the desired success; declining.
• Withering: becoming dry and shriveled; (figuratively) declining or deteriorating.

Related Phrases

• In full flourish: at the peak of success, growth, or development.
  • The artist's career was in full flourish during that decade.
• Flourish like a green bay tree: (idiomatic, somewhat literary) to prosper greatly and conspicuously.
  • With the new contract, his business began to flourish like a green bay tree.

Adjective

1. very lively and profitable
   • flourishing businesses
   • a palmy time for stockbrokers
   • a prosperous new business
   • doing a roaring trade
   • a thriving tourist center
   • did a thriving business in orchids