Definitions for flourish
ˈflɜr ɪʃ, ˈflʌr-flour·ish

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.8 / 8 votes

1. flourishnoun

   a showy gesture

   "she entered with a great flourish"

2. flourishnoun

   an ornamental embellishment in writing

3. flourishnoun

   a display of ornamental speech or language

4. flourish, brandishnoun

   the act of waving

5. flourish, fanfare, tucketverb

   (music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments

   "he entered to a flourish of trumpets"; "her arrival was greeted with a rousing fanfare"

6. boom, thrive, flourish, expandverb

   grow vigorously

   "The deer population in this town is thriving"; "business is booming"

7. thrive, prosper, fly high, flourishverb

   make steady progress; be at the high point in one's career or reach a high point in historical significance or importance

   "The new student is thriving"

8. brandish, flourish, waveverb

   move or swing back and forth

   "She waved her gun"

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. flourishnoun

   A dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.

   With many flourishes of the captured banner, they marched down the avenue.

2. flourishnoun

   An ornamentation.

   His signature ended with a flourish.

3. flourishnoun

   A ceremonious passage such as a fanfare.

   The trumpets blew a flourish as they entered the church.

4. flourishnoun

   A decorative embellishment on a building.

5. flourishverb

   To thrive or grow well.

   The barley flourished in the warm weather.

6. flourishverb

   To prosper or fare well.

7. flourishverb

   To be in a period of greatest influence.

   His writing flourished before the war.

8. flourishverb

   To make bold, sweeping movements with.

   They flourished the banner as they stormed the palace.

9. Etymology: From florisshen, flurisshen, and from floriss-, stem of some conjugated forms of florir, (fleurir);, from florire, from floreo (with influence from flōrēscō), from flos. See flower + -ish.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Flourishnoun

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. Bravery; beauty.

   I call’d thee then vain flourish of my fortune;
   I call’d thee then poor shadow, painted queen,
   The presentation of but what I was. William Shakespeare, Richard III.

   The flourish of his sober youth,
   Was the pride of naked truth. Richard Crashaw.

   2. An ostentatious embellishment; ambitious copiousness; far-fetched elegance.

   This is a flourish: there follow excellent parables. Francis Bacon.

   We can excuse the duty of our knowledge, if we only bestow the flourish of poetry thereon, or those commendatory conceits which popularly set forth the eminence of this creature. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. vi. c. 5.

   The apprehension is so deeply rivetted into my mind, that such rhetorical flourishes cannot at all loosen or brush it out. Henry More, Divine Dialogues.

   Villanies have not the same countenance, when there are great interests, plausible colours, and flourishes of wit and rhetorick interposed between the sight and the object. Roger L'Estrange.

   The so much repeated ornament and flourish of their former speeches was commonly the truest word they spoke, tho’ least believed by them. Robert South, Sermons.

   Studious to please the genius of the times,
   With periods, points, and tropes he slurs his crimes;
   He lards with flourishes his long harangue;
   ’Tis fine, say’st thou; what to be prais’d, and hang? Dryd.

   3. Figures formed by lines curiously or wantonly drawn.

   A child with delight looks upon emblems finely drawn and painted, and takes some pleasure in beholding the neat characters and flourishes of a bible curiously printed. Boyle.

   They were intended only for ludicrous ornaments of nature, like the flourishes about a great letter that signify nothing, but are made only to delight the eye. Henry More, against Atheism.

2. To Flourishverb

   1. To adorn with vegetable beauty.

   With shadowy verdure flourish’d high,
   A sudden youth the groves enjoy. Elijah Fenton.

   2. To adorn with figures of needle work.3. To work with a needle into figures.

   All that I shall say will be but like bottoms of thread close wound up, which, with a good needle, perhaps may be flourished into large works. Francis Bacon, War with Spain.

   4. To move any thing in quick circles or vibrations by way of show or triumph.

   And all the powers of hell in full applause
   Flourish’d their snakes, and toss’d their flaming brands. Richard Crashaw.

   Against the post their wicker shields they crush,
   Flourish the sword, and at the plastron push. John Dryden, Juv.

   5. To adorn with embellishments of language; to grace with eloquence ostentatiously diffusive.

   We should add the labours of Hercules, though flourished with much fabulous matter; yet it doth notably set forth the consent of all nations and ages in the approbation of the extirpating and debellating giants, monsters and tyrants. Francis Bacon.

   6. To adorn; to embellish; to grace.

   To bring you thus together, ’tis no sin,
   Sith that the justice of your title to him
   Doth flourish the deceit. William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure.

3. To FLOURISHverb

   Etymology: floreo, floresco, Latin.

   1. To be in vigour; not to fade.

   The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree. Ps. xcii. 12.

   Where e’er you tread, the blushing flow’rs shall rise,
   And all things flourish where you turn your eyes. Alexander Pope.

   2. To be in a prosperous state.

   If I could find example
   Of thousands, that had struck anointed kings,
   And flourish’d after, I’d not do’t: but since
   Nor brass, nor stone, nor parchment, bears not one,
   Let villany itself forswear’t. William Shakespeare, Winter’s Tale.

   Harry, that prophesied thou should’st be king,
   Doth comfort thee in sleep; live thou and flourish. William Shakespeare.

   He was the patron of my manhood, when I flourished in the opinion of the world, though with small advantage to my fortune. John Dryden, Lord Clifford. Dedicat. to.

   3. To use florid language; to speak with ambitious copiousness and elegance.

   Whilst Marcus Tullius Cicero acts the part of a rhetorician, he dilates and flourishes, and gives example instead of rule. Thomas Baker.

   You should not affect to flourish in a copious harangue and a diffusive style in company. Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind.

   They dilate sometimes, and flourish long upon little incidents, and they skip over and but lightly touch the drier part of their theme. Isaac Watts, Logick.

   4. To describe various figures by intersecting lines; to play in wanton and irregular motions.

   Impetuous spread
   The stream and smoaking, flourish’d o’er his head. Alexander Pope.

   5. To boast; to brag.6. [In musick.] To play some prelude.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. flourish

   Flourish is a verb that means to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as a result of a particularly beneficial environment. It can also refer to an exaggerated or grand action, often used for attracting attention or demonstrating something. As a noun, it refers to a bold or extravagant gesture or action intended to impress or attract attention.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Flourishverb

   to grow luxuriantly; to increase and enlarge, as a healthy growing plant; a thrive

2. Flourishverb

   to be prosperous; to increase in wealth, honor, comfort, happiness, or whatever is desirable; to thrive; to be prominent and influental; specifically, of authors, painters, etc., to be in a state of activity or production

3. Flourishverb

   to use florid language; to indulge in rhetorical figures and lofty expressions; to be flowery

4. Flourishverb

   to make bold and sweeping, fanciful, or wanton movements, by way of ornament, parade, bravado, etc.; to play with fantastic and irregular motion

5. Flourishverb

   to make ornamental strokes with the pen; to write graceful, decorative figures

6. Flourishverb

   to execute an irregular or fanciful strain of music, by way of ornament or prelude

7. Flourishverb

   to boast; to vaunt; to brag

8. Flourishverb

   to adorn with flowers orbeautiful figures, either natural or artificial; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish

9. Flourishverb

   to embellish with the flowers of diction; to adorn with rhetorical figures; to grace with ostentatious eloquence; to set off with a parade of words

10. Flourishverb

    to move in bold or irregular figures; to swing about in circles or vibrations by way of show or triumph; to brandish

11. Flourishverb

    to develop; to make thrive; to expand

12. Flourishnoun

    a flourishing condition; prosperity; vigor

13. Flourishnoun

    decoration; ornament; beauty

14. Flourishnoun

    something made or performed in a fanciful, wanton, or vaunting manner, by way of ostentation, to excite admiration, etc.; ostentatious embellishment; ambitious copiousness or amplification; parade of words and figures; show; as, a flourish of rhetoric or of wit

15. Flourishnoun

    a fanciful stroke of the pen or graver; a merely decorative figure

16. Flourishnoun

    a fantastic or decorative musical passage; a strain of triumph or bravado, not forming part of a regular musical composition; a cal; a fanfare

17. Flourishnoun

    the waving of a weapon or other thing; a brandishing; as, the flourish of a sword

18. Etymology: [OE. florisshen, flurisshen, OF. flurir, F. fleurir, fr. L. florere to bloom, fr. flos, floris, flower. See Flower, and -ish.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Flourish

   flur′ish, v.i. to thrive luxuriantly: to be prosperous: to use copious and flowery language: to move in fantastic figures: to display ostentatiously: (mus.) to play ostentatious passages, or ostentatiously: to play a trumpet-call: to make ornamental strokes with the pen: to boast or brag.—v.t. to adorn with flourishes or ornaments: to swing about by way of show or triumph: (Shak.) to gloss over.—n. decoration: showy splendour: a figure made by a bold stroke of the pen: the waving of a weapon or other thing: a parade of words: a musical prelude: a trumpet-call.—adjs. Flour′ished, decorated with flourishes; Flour′ishing, thriving: prosperous: making a show.—adv. Flour′ishingly.—adj. Flour′ishy, abounding in flourishes.—Flourish of trumpets, a trumpet-call sounded on the approach of great persons; any ostentatious introduction. [O. Fr. florir, L. flos, flower.]

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. flourish

   The waving of a weapon or other thing; a brandishing; as, the flourish of a sword.

2. flourish

   To execute an irregular or fanciful strain of music, by way of ornament or prelude, as, a flourish of trumpets.

Matched Categories

1. • Change State
   • Embellishment
   • Gesture
   • Grandiosity
   • Grow
   • Move
   • Wave

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'flourish' in Verbs Frequency: #1087

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce flourish?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say flourish in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of flourish in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of flourish in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of flourish in a Sentence

1. Steve Maraboli:

   Love in its most genuine sense, can only flourish if it is FREE. We, as people, can only flourish if we are free."

2. Adamo Macri:

   I'm fascinated by longevity and its perseverance, by the idea of forever in a world where most things go away quickly. That legacy justifies the work and time spent developing anything significant. That in and of itself must be a key source of motivation for the art to exist and flourish beyond my lifetime. Also, the work does not necessitate my presence in any way. It's self-sufficient in that regard, and it completes the task at hand.

3. John Roberts:

   It provides a way for religiously diverse people to hold together and to flourish.

4. Shawn Sanders:

   I was like, Man, thats crazy, it really hit home. That gives me the power and the energy to keep going and be the person I am today, and continue to help people, help the youth coming up under me and just continue to live life and flourish.

5. Gavin Gibbons:

   '' But these type of things flourish in the shadows.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=flourish
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Flourish
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=flourish
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourish
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=flourish
7. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=flourish