Thriving — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈthrī-viŋ/ thriv·ing

Meaning & Definition of Thriving

Thriving (adjective)

  1. characterized by success or prosperity

Thriving (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having attained a desired end or state of good fortune

    "our new landscaping business is thriving"

    similar: flourishing, going, palmy, prosperous, successful, triumphant, in clover
    related: coming, promising, booming, growing, roaring, robust, boffo, gangbusters, runaway, socko
    opposite: failed, unsuccessful
    near: futureless, hopeless, inauspicious, no-good, unpromising, collapsing, failing, flopping, flunking, folding, washing-out, declining, slipping, slumping, waning, bankrupt, kaput, kerflooey, destroyed, ruined, wrecked

  2. marked by much life, movement, or activity

    "the once thriving downtown has fallen into steep decline since the new mall was built"

    similar: aboil, abubble, abuzz, alive, animated, astir, brisk, bustling, busy, buzzing, flourishing, happening, hopping, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, vibrant
    related: abounding, crowded, overflowing, populous, swarming, teeming, thronging
    opposite: asleep, dead, inactive, lifeless, sleepy

  3. marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically

    "a thriving manufacturing community that is experiencing a tremendous growth in new jobs"

    similar: booming, boomy, flourishing, golden, halcyon, healthy, lush, palmy, prospering, prosperous, roaring, successful
    related: affluent, moneyed, opulent, rich, substantial, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, comfortable
    opposite: depressed, unprosperous, unsuccessful
    near: declining, dying, failing, floundering, languishing, struggling, bankrupt, bankrupted, insolvent

Thriving (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to grow vigorously

    "these plants thrive with relatively little sunlight"

    similar: burgeoning, flourishing, prospering
    related: luxuriating, overgrowing, proliferating, shooting up, germinating, rooting, sprouting, blooming, flowering, fruiting, producing, propagating, regenerating, seeding

  2. to reach a desired level of accomplishment

    "going to a school for gifted students will help him thrive as a musical prodigy"

    similar: arriving, flourishing, prospering, succeeding, coming into one's own, cutting it, cutting the mustard, getting ahead, getting somewhere, getting there, hacking it, hitting it big, making good, making it, making one's mark, making the grade
    related: prevailing, triumphing, winning, excelling
    opposite: failing
    near: floundering, struggling

Related Entry: Thrive (verb)

Thrive is a different word from Thriving. The synonyms below are for thrive, not for thriving.

  1. to grow vigorously

    "these plants thrive with relatively little sunlight"

    similar: burgeon, flourish, prosper
    related: luxuriate, overgrow, proliferate, shoot up, germinate, root, sprout, bloom, flower, fruit, produce, propagate, regenerate, seed

  2. to reach a desired level of accomplishment

    "going to a school for gifted students will help him thrive as a musical prodigy"

    similar: arrive, flourish, prosper, succeed, come into one's own, cut it, cut the mustard, get ahead, get somewhere, get there, hack it, hit it big, make good, make it, make one's mark, make the grade
    related: prevail, triumph, win, excel
    opposite: fail
    near: flounder, struggle

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Thriving

The most common words with a similar meaning to Thriving:

flourishing, going, palmy, prosperous, successful, triumphant, aboil, abubble, abuzz, alive, animated, astir, brisk, bustling, busy, buzzing, happening, hopping, humming, kinetic, lively, rousing, stirring, vibrant, booming, boomy, golden, halcyon, healthy, lush, prospering, roaring, in clover, burgeoning, arriving, succeeding, coming into one's own, cutting it, cutting the mustard, getting ahead

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Thriving

Words with the opposite meaning of Thriving:

failed, unsuccessful, asleep, dead, inactive, lifeless, sleepy, depressed, unprosperous, failing

Related Words for Thriving

coming, promising, growing, robust, boffo, gangbusters, runaway, socko, abounding, crowded, overflowing, populous, swarming, teeming, thronging, affluent, moneyed, opulent, rich, substantial, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, comfortable, luxuriating, overgrowing, proliferating, shooting up, germinating

Near Antonyms of Thriving

futureless, hopeless, inauspicious, no-good, unpromising, collapsing, flopping, flunking, folding, washing-out, declining, slipping, slumping, waning, bankrupt, kaput, kerflooey, destroyed, ruined, wrecked, dying, floundering, languishing, struggling, bankrupted, insolvent

Word Forms of Thriving

Derived words: thrivingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Thriving

First known use: 1604

Frequently Asked Questions about Thriving

What does "Thriving" mean?

"Thriving" means characterized by success or prosperity. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: characterized by success or prosperity. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Thriving"?

Other words for "Thriving" include flourishing, going, palmy, prosperous, successful, triumphant, aboil and abubble. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Thriving" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Thriving"?

There are 91 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Thriving". Common alternatives include flourishing, going, palmy, prosperous, successful, triumphant, aboil, abubble, abuzz and alive.

What is the opposite of "Thriving"?

Antonyms of "Thriving" include failed, unsuccessful, asleep, dead, inactive, lifeless, sleepy and depressed. Near antonyms include futureless, hopeless, inauspicious and no-good.

How do you use "Thriving" in a sentence?

Examples of "Thriving" in a sentence: "our new landscaping business is thriving"; "the once thriving downtown has fallen into steep decline since the new mall was built"; "a thriving manufacturing community that is experiencing a tremendous growth in new jobs".

Is "Thriving" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Thriving" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Thriving"?

"Thriving" is pronounced /ˈthrī-viŋ/ and divided into syllables as thriv·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Thriving"?

First known use: 1604.