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   flour·ish

   /ˈfləriSH/

   verb

   • 1. (of a person, animal, or other living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment: "wild plants flourish on the banks of the lake" Similar growthriveprospergrow/do welldevelopburgeonincreasemultiplyproliferatespring upshoot upbloomblossombear fruitburst forthrun riotput on a spurtboommushroomOpposite diewither
   • ▪ develop rapidly and successfully: "the organization has continued to flourish" Similar thriveprosperbloombe in good shapebe in good healthbe wellbe strongbe vigorousbe in its heydayprogressmake progressadvancemake headwaydevelopimprovebecome bettermatureevolvemake stridesmove forward (in leaps and bounds)move aheadget aheadexpandinformal:be in the pinkgo placesgo great gunsget somewhereOpposite decline
   • ▪ (of a person) be working or at the height of one's career during a specified period: "the caricaturist and wit who flourished in the early years of this century" Similar thriveprosperbloombe in good shapebe in good healthbe wellbe strongbe vigorousbe in its heydayprogressmake progressadvancemake headwaydevelopimprovebecome bettermatureevolvemake stridesmove forward (in leaps and bounds)move aheadget aheadexpandinformal:be in the pinkgo placesgo great gunsget somewhereOpposite decline
   • 2. (of a person) wave (something) around to attract the attention of others: "“Happy New Year!” he yelled, flourishing a bottle of whiskey" Similar brandishwaveshakewieldraisehold aloftswingtwirlwagswishflapdisplayexhibitflauntvauntparadeshow off

   noun

   • 1. a bold or extravagant gesture or action, made especially to attract the attention of others: "with a flourish, she ushered them inside"
   • ▪ an elaborate rhetorical or literary expression.
   • ▪ an ornamental flowing curve in handwriting or scrollwork: "spiky gothic letters with an emphatic flourish beneath them"
   • 2. an instance of suddenly performing or developing in an impressively successful way: "the Bulldogs produced a late second-half flourish"
   • 3. a fanfare played by brass instruments: "a flourish of trumpets"
   • ▪ an ornate musical passage.
   • ▪ an improvised addition played especially at the beginning or end of a composition.

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French floriss-, lengthened stem of florir, based on Latin florere, from flos, flor- ‘a flower’. The noun senses ‘ornamental curve’ and ‘florid expression’ come from an obsolete sense of the verb, ‘adorn’ (originally with flowers).

   Derivatives

   • 1. flourisher noun

   Scrabble Points: 14

   • F

     4

   • L

     1

   • O

     1

   • U

     1

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • S

     1

   • H

     4

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