entry
thriving
/ˈθɹaɪ.vɪŋ/flourishing, growing, and succeeding
From O.Norse / Scandinavian thrive (to prosper).
Word Ancestry
This one starts with the odd idea that thriving may once have had something to do with grabbing. Old Norse þrífa meant “to seize” or “to clutch,” and somewhere along the Scandinavian-to-English handoff that physical act of taking hold turned into the softer, almost social sense of prospering. That gives the word a nice little snap: thriving is not just existing, it is getting a firm grip on life. Its cousins are hiding in plain sight too — prosperity and flourish in English, trives in Swedish and Danish — all circling around the same old impulse to gain a foothold. By the time English speakers were using thriving around 1600, it had become the adjective of healthy business and happy growth, as if success itself had put on work boots. The image to remember: a hand closing around a branch, and the branch turning into a whole tree.
The Story
This one starts with the odd idea that thriving may once have had something to do with grabbing. Old Norse þrífa meant “to seize” or “to clutch,” and somewhere along the Scandinavian-to-English handoff that physical act of taking hold turned into the softer, almost social sense of prospering. That gives the word a nice little snap: thriving is not just existing, it is getting a firm grip on life. Its cousins are hiding in plain sight too — prosperity and flourish in English, trives in Swedish and Danish — all circling around the same old impulse to gain a foothold. By the time English speakers were using thriving around 1600, it had become the adjective of healthy business and happy growth, as if success itself had put on work boots. The image to remember: a hand closing around a branch, and the branch turning into a whole tree.
Modern Usage
used sarcastically or playfully to mean 'doing badly' or 'living it up'
Popularized by: internet slang and meme usage
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary examples using 'I'm thriving' ironically
Kin & Kindred
From 'thrive'·to prosper; grow strong
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '-ing'·present participle, ongoing action or state
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary