flourish/ˈflʌrɪʃ
verb: flourish; 3rd person present: flourishes; past tense: flourished; past participle: flourished; gerund or present participle: flourishing
: (of a living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly congenial environment – “wild plants flourish on the banks of the lake “
Similar: grow, thrive, prosper, grow/do well, develop, urge on, increase, multiply, proliferate, spring up, shoot up, bloom, blossom, bear fruit, burst forth, run riot, put on a spurt, boom, mushroom.
Opposite: die, wither.
: to develop rapidly and successfully – “the organization has continued to flourish”
Similar: thrive, prosper, bloom, be in good shape, be in good health, be well, be strong, be vigorous, be in its heyday, progress, make progress, advance, make headway, develop, improve, become better, mature, evolve, make strides, move ahead, get ahead, expand, be in the pink, go places, go great guns, get somewhere, thriving, prosperous, prospering, booming, burgeoning, successful, strong, vigorous, buoyant, productive, profitable, fruitful, lucrative, growing, developing, progressing, improving, expanding, mushrooming, snowballing, ballooning, fast-growing, going strong.
Opposite: decline, moribund
: to 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: thrive, prosper, bloom, be in good shape, be in good health, be well, be strong, be vigorous, be in its heyday, progress, make progress, advance, make headway, develop, improve, become better, mature, evolve, make strides, move ahead, get ahead, expand, be in the pink, go places, go great guns, get somewhere.
Opposite: decline
: wave (something) about to attract attention – “‘Happy New Year!’ he yelled, flourishing a bottle of whisky”
Similar: brandish, wave, shake, wield, raise, hold aloft, swing, twirl, wag, swish, flap, display, exhibit, flaunt, vaunt, parade, show off.
noun: flourish; plural noun: flourishes
: a bold or extravagant gesture or action, made especially to attract attention – “with a flourish, she ushered them inside”
: an elaborate rhetorical or literary expression.
: an ornamental flowing curve in handwriting or scrollwork – “letters with an emphatic flourish beneath them”
: an impressive and successful act or period – “United produced a late second-half flourish”
: MUSIC a fanfare played by brass instruments – “a flourish of trumpets”
: an ornate musical passage.an extemporized addition played especially at the beginning or end of a composition.
Origin
Flourish! It would have to be one of my absolute favourite words. I love the way it sounds, how it tastes in my mouth as I articulate and express it, how my whole body is engrossed and immersed in presenting and forming the letters as they flow together out of my mouth – go on, try and say it without feeling it. It’s almost impossible to not bubble this word out with expression.
More than that, I love the meaning. I had to list all the things (above) that I found about this word, in both dictionary and thesaurus, because it means many varying things, but they are all so lively and good.
To flourish, one must immediately think of blossoming, growing and becoming something more than what one originally was. To me it’s a word in action. You can’t stand still or stay the same if you are flourishing. It’s alive with vibrancy and colour.
It’s over the top and extroverted, so it almost is odd for me, as a very firm introvert to love this word so intensely. But, when I reflect on this word, I love the exuberance of it and how it can seem so “extra”, because I know it can also be quiet, peaceful and gentle – hidden even.
Flourishing is a consistent growing. It’s something that takes work and effort. It’s a moving towards something, a flow, a becoming.
But, as a flower grows from a seed into a seedling, then a stalk into a plant, then a bud which eventually opens into an extravagant, delightful flower, it happens quietly – almost without anyone noticing. Oh, but when that flower blooms, all our attention is drawn to it and we can’t help but admire its goodness, its intricacies, it’s life and vibrancy.
My children’s school has this word as part of their motto – “where every child flourishes”. I love that so much because that is what we are all aiming for, isn’t it? – a flourishing, growing, learning, developing, successful child, who is becoming someone extraordinary and wonderful in their own right.
I like to think that even in this season, we can all flourish. This is the time that we, like the quietly growing flower, can develop and grow, working on our stalk that is becoming a plant, do the developing, progressing and expanding in our wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Here in the sequestering, in the quiet places and spaces, in the abnormal and unusual, in these interesting times and unknown futures, may we flourish, despite our current circumstances.
May we, much like the beautiful flower, be ready to blossom, bloom and burst forth as better, stronger and more vibrant versions of ourselves when we are released from isolation. So we can go out into all the world, ready, prepared and willing to shine Jesus light and flourish for all to see, so that all may come and know the gospel through Christ in us.
Flourish my friend, flourish!
