From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthrivethrive /θraɪv/ ●○○ verb (past tense thrived or throve /θrəʊv $ θroʊv/, past participle thrived) [intransitive] formal SUCCESSFULto become very successful or very strong and healthy plants that thrive in tropical rain forests a business which managed to thrive during a recessionRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say do well rather than thrive:The whole family seems to be doing well. → thrive on something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
thrive• Most herbs need direct sun all day in order to thrive.• The IT explosion means that telecommunications companies are thriving.• In quite a few ranges reintroduced sheep have thrived.• They appear to love them and thrive.• Ellington thrived in the limelight and success that his backstage partner contributed to so significantly during their almost three-decade collaboration.• It is still unclear whether dotcom companies will continue to thrive in the long-term future.• Wineries have thrived in the town for more than a century.• If there was anything Percy thrived on, he mused, it was details.• They can thrive with less than four hours of sun and survive in most garden soils.• Eurosceptic business and political groups said the figures proved that Britain could thrive without losing its currency.From Longman Business Dictionarythrivethrive /θraɪv/ verb (past tense thrived or throve /θrəʊvθroʊv/, past participle thrived) [intransitive] if a company, market, or place is thriving, it is very successful and making a lot of moneyOur natural food supermarkets are thriving. —thriving adjectiveHe has a thriving computer-consultancy business.→ See Verb tableOrigin thrive (1200-1300) Old Norse thrifask, probably from thrifa “to seize” 