to be in a vigorous state; thrive: a period in which art flourished.
to be in its or in one's prime; be at the height of fame, excellence, influence, etc.
to be successful; prosper.
to grow luxuriantly, or thrive in growth, as a plant.
to make dramatic, sweeping gestures: Flourish more when you act out the king's great death scene.
to add embellishments and ornamental lines to writing, letters, etc.
to sound a trumpet call or fanfare.
verb (used with object)
to brandish dramatically; gesticulate with: a conductor flourishing his baton for the crescendo.
to decorate or embellish (writing, a page of script, etc.) with sweeping or fanciful curves or lines.
noun
an act or instance of brandishing.
an ostentatious display.
a decoration or embellishment, especially in writing: He added a few flourishes to his signature.
Rhetoric. a parade of fine language; an expression used merely for effect.
a trumpet call or fanfare.
a condition or period of thriving: in full flourish.
Origin of flourish
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English florisshen, from Middle French floriss-, long stem of florir, ultimately from Latin flōrēre “to bloom,” derivative of flōs flower
SYNONYMS FOR flourish
1 grow, increase.
9 ornament.
12 ornament, adornment.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR flourish ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR flourish
1 fade, decline.
SEE ANTONYMS FOR flourish ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for flourish
1. See succeed.
OTHER WORDS FROM flourish
flour·ish·er,nounoutflourish,verb (used with object)
During the pandemic when marketing budgets have frozen, publishers have experienced an uptick in shorter-form, quickly completed social branded content campaigns, with lower production costs and multimedia flourishes.
‘We can be agile and evolve’: News UK is quickly growing a 7-figure incremental revenue stream from social video|Lucinda Southern|August 5, 2020|Digiday
Her father gazes back at her happily, tips his hat, and bows with a flourish.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This fact was revealed with a flourish during a Life Lesson on the importance of discretion, which is a story for another day.
Quality Bud, but Like, Whoa, The Prices|Kelly Williams Brown|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pretending and imaginative play also flourish, and imaginary friends are common companions to young schoolchildren.
Diagnosing Jane, Louis C.K.’s Troubled Daughter on ‘Louie’ Who Can’t Separate Dreams From Reality|Russell Saunders|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2006, he left LA with a flourish when the Tribune Co. demanded severe cuts in the newsroom and Baquet refused to make them.
Jill Abramson Fired from the Times: Was It About Money and Sexism—Or Management Style?|Lloyd Grove|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite starting with a flourish, that site has gone quiet in recent days as it undergoes a reorganization.
Guardian and WaPo Share Pulitzer: Snowden Hails Victory for “More Accountable Democracy”|David Freedlander|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And he began to flourish it over his head, and to press nearer and nearer.
The Gold Thread|Norman MacLeod
London, Pennsylvania, did not flourish as its founders had expected.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 11 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard
He tossed off a thimbleful of the purple wine with a flourish.
Chance in Chains|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
If he can flourish a whip like a true ringmaster in the circus, the interest of the game will be enhanced.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium|Jessie H. Bancroft
But it is a noticeable fact that much that is imported or grows in Australia, seems to flourish too freely.
Forty Thousand Miles Over Land and Water|Lady (Ethel Gwendoline [Moffatt]) Vincent
British Dictionary definitions for flourish
flourish
/ (ˈflʌrɪʃ) /
verb
(intr)to thrive; prosper
(intr)to be at the peak of condition
(intr)to be healthyplants flourish in the light
to wave or cause to wave in the air with sweeping strokes
to display or make a display
to play (a fanfare, etc) on a musical instrument
(intr)to embellish writing, characters, etc, with ornamental strokes
to add decorations or embellishments to (speech or writing)
(intr) an obsolete word for blossom
noun
the act of waving or brandishing
a showy gesturehe entered with a flourish
an ornamental embellishment in writing
a display of ornamental language or speech
a grandiose passage of music
an ostentatious display or parade
obsolete
the state of flourishing
the state of flowering
Derived forms of flourish
flourisher, noun
Word Origin for flourish
C13: from Old French florir, ultimately from Latin flōrēre to flower, from flōs a flower