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Flourish vs Expand - What's the difference?

flourish | expand | Related terms |

In intransitive terms the difference between flourish and expand

is that flourish is to execute an irregular or fanciful strain of music, by way of ornament or prelude while expand is to feel generous or optimistic.

In transitive terms the difference between flourish and expand

is that flourish is to adorn with beautiful figures or rhetoric; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish while expand is to express (something) at length and/or in detail.

As a noun flourish

is a dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.

flourish

English

Verb

(es)
  • To thrive or grow well.
  • *
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage='Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.}}
  • To prosper or fare well.
  • * Nelson
  • Bad men as frequently prosper and flourish , and that by the means of their wickedness.
  • * '>citation
  • To be in a period of greatest influence.
  • To develop; to make thrive; to expand.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Bottoms of thread which with a good needle, perhaps may be flourished into large works.
  • To make bold, sweeping movements with.
  • To make bold and sweeping, fanciful, or wanton movements, by way of ornament, parade, bravado, etc.; to play with fantastic and irregular motion.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Impetuous spread the stream, and smoking flourished o'er his head.
  • To use florid language; to indulge in rhetorical figures and lofty expressions.
  • * J. Watts
  • They dilate and flourish long on little incidents.
  • To make ornamental strokes with the pen; to write graceful, decorative figures.
  • To adorn with beautiful figures or rhetoric; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish.
  • (Fenton)
    (Shakespeare)
  • To execute an irregular or fanciful strain of music, by way of ornament or prelude.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish thus?
  • (obsolete) To boast; to vaunt; to brag.
  • (Alexander Pope)

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Noun

    (es)
  • A dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.
  • With many flourishes of the captured banner, they marched down the avenue.
  • An ornamentation.
  • His signature ended with a flourish .
  • (music) A ceremonious passage such as a fanfare.
  • The trumpets blew a flourish as they entered the church.
  • (architecture) A decorative embellishment on a building.
  • expand

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (label) To change (something) from a smaller form and/or size to a larger one.
  • (label) To increase the extent, number, volume or scope of (something).
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • Then with expanded wings he steers his flight.
  • (label) To express (something) at length and/or in detail.
  • To rewrite (an expression) as a longer, yet equivalent sum of terms.
  • To multiply both the numerator and the denominator of a fraction by the same natural number yielding a fraction of equal value
  • (label) To (be) change(d) from a smaller form/size to a larger one.
  • (label) To (be) increase(d) in extent, number, volume or scope.
  • (label) To speak or write at length or in detail.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1899, author=(Stephen Crane)
  • , title=, chapter=1 , passage=There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […].”}}
  • (label) To feel generous or optimistic.
  • Synonyms

    * open out, spread, spread out, unfold * enlarge * (to express at length or in detail) elaborate (on), expand on

    Antonyms

    * contract * contract * factor

    Derived terms

    * expandable * expander