Burgeon

hardPositive tone

BUR-jun

verb

Definition

To begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish

Memory hook

BUR-GEON: Like a BUD bursting open in spring -- burgeoning growth everywhere.

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Word roots

burjonbud, shoot(French)

Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.

Examples

The tech industry burgeoned in the 1990s.
Her career burgeoned after she published her first novel.

Test yourself

Fill in the blank with the right word:

The tech industry ______ in the 1990s.
Show answer

burgeoned

Synonyms

flourishthriveproliferatebloom

Antonyms

declinewithershrinklanguish

Categories

View all Growth words

GRE Tip

Burgeon is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "flourish" or "thrive" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "decline".

Read: How to Memorize GRE Words That Actually Stick

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