FLOURISH Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'flourish' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of flourish are brandish , swing , thrash , and wave . While all these words mean "to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down," flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement. // flourished the winning lottery ticket

Q: When is it sensible to use 'brandish' instead of 'flourish'?

The meanings of brandish and flourish largely overlap; however, brandish implies threatening or menacing motion. // brandishing a knife

Q: When could 'swing' be used to replace 'flourish'?

While the synonyms swing and flourish are close in meaning, swing implies regular or uniform movement. // swing the rope back and forth

Q: When might 'thrash' be a better fit than 'flourish'?

The synonyms thrash and flourish are sometimes interchangeable, but thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement. // an infant thrashing his arms about

Q: When can 'wave' be used instead of 'flourish'?

While in some cases nearly identical to flourish , wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion. // waving the flag

flourish 1 of 2

verb

ˈflər-ish

Definition of flourish

as in to thrive

to grow vigorously that plant flourishes in cool, wet weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to succeed

to reach a desired level of accomplishment the arts program flourished once it received adequate funding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

flourish

2 of 2

noun

as in wave

Related Words

as in ruffle

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word flourish distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of flourish are brandish, swing, thrash, and wave. While all these words mean "to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down," flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

When is it sensible to use brandish instead of flourish?

The meanings of brandish and flourish largely overlap; however, brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

When could swing be used to replace flourish?

While the synonyms swing and flourish are close in meaning, swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

When might thrash be a better fit than flourish?

The synonyms thrash and flourish are sometimes interchangeable, but thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

When can wave be used instead of flourish?

While in some cases nearly identical to flourish, wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flourish

Verb

Libra September 23 – October 22 Quiet may be just what is needed for a creative idea to flourish. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026 By the twentieth century, intensive farming practices had left the South dangerously vulnerable to erosion, producing depleted swaths of land where kudzu would later flourish. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026

Noun

Pruitt’s interest in opera is genuine, but the flourish is misleading. — Carson Griffith, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Others serve it without meat and a simple salty flourish of cotija cheese for garnish. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flourish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flourish

Verb

Indoors, geraniums will need bright, direct light from a sunny, south-facing window to thrive.

— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
Avoid over-applying top dressing—too much can smother your grass and prevent it from thriving.

— Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of thrive

Verb

Four years after succeeding founder Virgil Abloh as the creative lead at Off-White, Ib Kamara has departed the brand.

— Luke Leitch, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
Republicans are trying to tie the Democratic Party in general to the democratic socialist candidates who have succeeded this year in running for office.

— Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of succeed

Noun

Southern California is in the middle of a Super El Niño heat and humidity wave.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
That scoreboard is now misleading, because the same AI wave letting those companies shed jobs is handing thousands of capable people the time and the reason to build something of their own.

— Lisa Curtis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of wave

Noun

Now at the National Museum of American History, the vanilla silk crepe dress, with its single waterfall ruffle and narrow claret ribbon at the waist, hinted at old-world craft and restraint.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
The flowy ruffle hem adds a whimsical touch to all of your summer outfits, whether paired with a boxy tee, polished button-down, or loose tank, while simultaneously keeping your ensemble airy and lightweight on the go.

— Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruffle

Verb

Still, those who prosper based on achieving productivity advances naturally have greater wealth than before, only to drive up other prices formerly lower due to more subdued economic growth.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Firms with proprietary data that is valuable to AI agents should be better positioned to prosper, while software companies that offer little beyond functionality — and have few other sources of customer stickiness — could struggle.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian and Stephen Henriques, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of prosper

Noun

Around this infrastructure, Pizzini and her team reconstructed the original Muppet Theatre, from the iconic arches to the filigree to the safety curtain with the door Kermit pops out of in the opening sequence.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
One bestseller, the Chessboard necklace, features a spider’s web of traditional Chinese filigree in silver and gold, accented with diamonds, as a Chinese metaphor for catching wealth.

— Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of filigree

Verb

This position — especially once assistant head coach Frank Smith arrived — requires immense mental aptitude.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The minister said Nepal has received over 57 metric tons of relief supplies from India, with additional aid arriving from China, Japan, Australia and other countries.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrive

Browse Nearby Words

flounders

flourish

flourished

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Style

“Flourish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flourish. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of flourish

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noun

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