flourish
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to grow, develop, or be very successful.
v.to grow vigorously or thrive in a favourable environment; often used for plants, businesses, or artistic movements.
Simple“The small business began to flourish after they started selling their products online.”
In context“Wildflowers flourish in the valley during the spring, covering the entire landscape in a vibrant carpet of purple and gold.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a short, exciting piece of music played by trumpets.
n.a short, lively musical passage or fanfare, typically played to announce the arrival of someone important.
Simple“A flourish of trumpets announced the arrival of the queen.”
In context“The ceremony opened with a brass flourish that echoed through the cathedral, silencing the gathered crowd.”
“Nicholson said the government should look at demand for stable career prospects, affordable housing and the need "for a place where they can feel welcome and that they can feel that they can flourish".”
“The discovery of “extremophiles”, primitive organisms that thrive in extreme conditions, has shown that living things can flourish under two miles of ice and in hot springs that reach 208F (98C).”
From Middle English floryschen, from Old French florir (via the arrhizotonic stem floriss-), from Late Latin flōrīre, from Latin flōrēre, from Latin flōrem (“flower”, noun). Corresponds to flower + -ish.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.