ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flourished

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfɫɝɪʃt// UK //flˈʌɹɪʃt// flour·ished

v. to grow or develop very successfully. You use this when a person, business, or plant is doing great and getting stronger.

v. to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favourable environment. Often used metaphorically to describe businesses, cultures, or artistic movements.


SIMPLE

The small business flourished after moving to the city center.

CONTEXTUAL

The local arts scene flourished during the summer months as tourists flocked to the coastal galleries.

COMPLEX

Historians argue that the trade route allowed diverse cultures to interact, creating a unique environment where philosophy and science flourished for centuries before the empire's eventual decline.

Synonyms
Usage

Intransitive; does not take a direct object.

Pitfall

The company flourished its profitsThe company's profits flourishedIn this sense, the verb is intransitive and cannot take an object; the thing that is growing must be the subject.

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