Thrive \Thrive\ (thr[imac]v), v. i. [imp. {Throve} (thr[=o]v) or
   {Thrived} (thr[imac]vd); p. p. {Thrived} or {Thriven}
   (thr[i^]v"'n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Thriving}.] [OE.
   [thorn]riven, Icel. [thorn]r[imac]fask; probably originally,
   to grasp for one's self, from [thorn]r[imac]fa to grasp; akin
   to Dan. trives to thrive, Sw. trifvas. Cf. {Thrift}.]
   1. To prosper by industry, economy, and good management of
      property; to increase in goods and estate; as, a farmer
      thrives by good husbandry.
      
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            Diligence and humility is the way to thrive in the
            riches of the understanding, as well as in gold.
                                                  --I. Watts.
      
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   2. To prosper in any business; to have increase or success.
      "They by vices thrive." --Sandys.
      
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            O son, why sit we here, each other viewing
            Idly, while Satan, our great author, thrives?
                                                  --Milton.
      
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            And so she throve and prospered.      --Tennyson.
      
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   3. To increase in bulk or stature; to grow vigorously or
      luxuriantly, as a plant; to flourish; as, young cattle
      thrive in rich pastures; trees thrive in a good soil.
      
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thriving
     adj 1: very lively and profitable; "flourishing businesses"; "a
            palmy time for stockbrokers"; "a prosperous new
            business"; "doing a roaring trade"; "a thriving
            tourist center"; "did a thriving business in orchids"
            [syn: {booming}, {flourishing}, {palmy}, {prospering},
             {prosperous}, {roaring}]
     2: having or showing vigorous vegetal or animal life;
        "flourishing crops"; "flourishing chicks"; "a growing
        boy"; "fast-growing weeds"; "a thriving deer population"
        [syn: {flourishing}, {growing}]

72 Moby Thesaurus words for "thriving":
   abundance, abundant, advancing, balmy, blooming, blossoming,
   booming, bountiful, budding, burgeoning, bursting, bursting out,
   clear, copious, creative, crescent, developed, ease, easy,
   exuberant, fair, fat, fecund, fertile, florescent, flourishing,
   flowering, fructiferous, fruitful, fruiting, full-fledged,
   full-grown, fully developed, generous, going strong, growing,
   grown, grown-up, halcyon, hypertrophied, in full swing,
   in good case, lush, luxuriant, mature, overdeveloped, overgrown,
   palmy, piping, plenteous, plentiful, pregnant, productive,
   progressing, proliferous, prolific, prospering, prosperous, rich,
   roaring, robust, rosy, seminal, sleek, sprouting, superabundant,
   swarming, teeming, thrifty, uberous, vigorous, well-being