# flourished

/ˈfɫɝɪʃt/ (US) · /flˈʌɹɪʃt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flourished
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The small business flourished after moving to the city center.
- The local arts scene flourished during the summer months as tourists flocked to the coastal galleries.
- 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The company flourished its profits" but "The company's profits flourished" — In this sense, the verb is intransitive and cannot take an object; the thing that is growing must be the subject.

## Usage notes

- Intransitive; does not take a direct object.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.