flourish

/ˈflʌrɪʃ/

/ˈflʌrɪʃ/

Other forms: flourishing; flourished; flourishes

A flourish is an extra touch — a trumpet's "ta-ta-da!" announcing a king's entrance, a fancy carving atop an otherwise utilitarian pillar, a wave of a flag or a cheerleader's pompom.

Flourish can also mean "growth": "With the right teacher, a child will flourish." To understand how the two meanings of flourish connect, remember that the word "flower" (spelled flour-) is hiding inside it. Flowers are used for decoration and ornamentation, but they also grow. Get it? Good for you! Imagine a cheerleader shouting out your name, flourishing her pom-poms.

Definitions of flourish

1. verb

   grow vigorously
   synonyms: boom, expand, thrive

   types:

   revive

   be brought back to life, consciousness, or strength

   luxuriate

   thrive profusely or flourish extensively

   type of:

   grow

   become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain
2. verb

   make steady progress; be at the high point in one's career or reach a high point in historical significance or importance
   synonyms: fly high, prosper, thrive

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
3. noun

   the act of waving
   synonyms: brandish

   type of:

   wafture, wave, waving

   the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
4. noun

   a showy gesture
   “she entered with a great flourish”

   type of:

   gesture, motion

   the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
5. noun

   an ornamental embellishment in writing
   types:

   paraph

   a flourish added after or under your signature (originally to protect against forgery)

   type of:

   embellishment

   a superfluous ornament
6. noun

   a display of ornamental speech or language
   type of:

   grandiloquence, grandiosity, magniloquence, ornateness, rhetoric

   high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation
7. verb

   move or swing back and forth
   synonyms: brandish, wave

   types:

   wigwag

   send a signal by waving a flag or a light according to a certain code

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
8. noun

   (music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments
   “he entered to a flourish of trumpets”

   synonyms: fanfare, tucket

   type of:

   air, line, melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, strain, tune

   a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence