Meaning 1
To open into flowers.
Reach for it when describing the flowering stage of a plant
The climbing roses bloom just as the school year ends.
Meaning 2
To develop into a healthier, more confident, or more accomplished state.
Reach for it when praising gradual personal or creative growth
With patient instruction, her curiosity began to bloom.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| playful | ||
| everyday |
| |
| warm |
| |
| professional | ||
| literary |
playful
take off
Fits when development becomes rapid and obvious
Not when patient organic progress matters more than speed
everyday
Fits when good conditions support strong wellbeing
Not when a marked transformation should be conveyed
professional
Fits when healthy sustained success is visible
Not when the potential is only starting to open
literary
come into your own
Fits when someone reaches assured individual strength
Not when the growth is still at an early stage
bloom in spring
The hillside orchids bloom in spring after the first warm rain.
begin to bloom
A few shaded plants begin to bloom later than the rest.
confidence bloom
The audience could almost see his confidence bloom with each answer.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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