Cool MateFlourish vs Make it to the big time vs Prosper vs Thrive
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Flourish
Make it to the big time
Prosper
Thrive
| Flourish | Make it to the big time | Prosper | Thrive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈflʌrɪʃ/","/ˈflʌrɪʃɪz/","/ˈflʌrɪʃt/","/ˈflʌrɪʃɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈflɜːrɪʃ/","/ˈflɜːrɪʃɪz/","/ˈflɜːrɪʃt/","/ˈflɜːrɪʃɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //meɪk ɪt tə ðə bɪg taɪm//🇺🇸 //meɪk ɪt tə ðə bɪg taɪm// | 🇬🇧 //ˈprɒspə//🇺🇸 //ˈprɑːspər// | 🇬🇧 /["/θraɪv/","/θraɪvz/","/θraɪvd/","/ˈθraɪvɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/θraɪv/","/θraɪvz/","/θraɪvd/","/ˈθraɪvɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To grow or develop in a healthy way. | To become very successful, especially in a career. | To be successful and make a lot of money. | To grow strong and be successful. |
| Example | The artist continued to flourish despite the challenging market conditions. | After years of hard work, she finally made it to the big time. | Their business began to prosper after they revamped their marketing strategy. | New businesses thrive in this area. |
| Register | Neutral | Informal | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | C1 | - | B1 | C1 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb | verb | |
| Collocations | flourish in the garden, flourish in life, flourish under pressure, flourish at work, flourish financially | make it to the top, make it in the industry, make it big, make it happen, make it count | prosper in business, prosper financially, prosper together | positively, still, seem to, continue to, fail to, on, failure to thrive |
| Antonyms | wither, decline, fail | - | fail, struggle, decline | fail, decline, wither |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'flourish' as a noun and a verb., Using 'flourish' in past tense without 'ed' as in 'flourished' incorrectly., Mixing up 'flourish' with similar-sounding words like 'flour' or 'flower'. | Confusing with 'make it big' which has a similar but slightly different meaning., Using it in overly formal writing or presentations., Incorrectly using past tense, it should generally be in present or future. | Confused with 'prospective' which relates to future possibilities., Mistakenly used as an adjective instead of a verb. | Confusing with 'survive' - thrive means to do well, while survive means to just get by., Using it in a negative sentence - thrive is generally positive, so it's rare to say 'does not thrive.', Confusing the prepositions - remember to use 'on', 'in', or 'through' correctly. |
| Usage notes | Use 'flourish' when talking about personal growth, businesses, or plants. Avoid in very formal writing unless discussing economics or psychology. | Used in casual conversations or media to talk about achieving significant success, typically in entertainment or sports. Not suitable for formal contexts. | Used in both formal and informal contexts, often related to business or personal success. | This word is suitable in both casual and professional contexts. Use it to describe personal growth or the success of businesses and plants. Avoid using it in overly negative contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Flourish vs Make it to the big time vs Prosper vs Thrive
What's the difference between Flourish, Make it to the big time, Prosper, and Thrive?
Flourish: To grow or develop in a healthy way. Make it to the big time: To become very successful, especially in a career. Prosper: To be successful and make a lot of money. Thrive: To grow strong and be successful.
Can you show an example of each?
Flourish: The artist continued to flourish despite the challenging market conditions. Make it to the big time: After years of hard work, she finally made it to the big time. Prosper: Their business began to prosper after they revamped their marketing strategy. Thrive: New businesses thrive in this area.
Can I use Flourish, Make it to the big time, Prosper, and Thrive interchangeably?
Not always. Flourish, Make it to the big time, Prosper, and Thrive are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.