English
thrive
Thrive comes from Middle English thryven ‘to acquire prosperity or fortune’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *trep- ‘to satisfy, enjoy’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*trep-1‘to satisfy, enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þrībaną1‘to seize, prosper’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350þrífa1‘to seize, grasp, take hold, prosper’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thryven1‘to acquire prosperity or fortune’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598thrive1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English thrive
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “[…] Deliver me the key. Here do I choose,…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*trep-Wiktionary, English thrive‘to satisfy, enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þrībanąWiktionary, English thrive‘to seize, prosper’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350þrífaWiktionary, English thrive‘to seize, grasp, take hold, prosper’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thryvenWiktionary, English thrive‘to acquire prosperity or fortune’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598thriveWiktionary, English thrive. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “[…] Deliver me the key. Here do I choose,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *trep- ‘to satisfy, enjoy’
trophy, trope, intrepid, tropic, trepidation, troubadour, turpitude, contrive, 28 more
Today it means
verb To grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously or luxuriantly; to enjoy a state of excellent health and well-being; to flourish.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “thrive”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *trep- / thrive