nourish

verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish 

ˈnə-rish

nourished; nourishing; nourishes

transitive verb

1

: nurture, rear

… to save my boy, to nourish and bring him up …

—Shakespeare

2

: to promote the growth of

no occasions to exercise the feelings nor nourish passion

—L. O. Coxe

nourished soccer as a sport in this country

needed to nourish his spiritual life

3

a

: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed

Plants are nourished by rain and soil.

b

: maintain, support

their profits … nourish other criminal activities

—Beverly Smith

nourisher noun

Synonyms

• promote
• cultivate
• encourage
• nurture
• foster

Examples of nourish in a Sentence

Vitamins are added to the shampoo to nourish the hair.

a friendship nourished by trust

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, after each cleanse, my skin felt soothed and nourished—none of that tight feel. —Denise Primbet, Glamour, 26 Aug. 2025

Every item was intentionally crafted to not only pair perfectly with our smoothies, but to embody our vision of making the world a better place by nourishing healthy habits, all while celebrating the delicious and nutritious flavors and convenience our guests love. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025

In a slightly different treatment, Farias at Our Skin Clinic uses advanced HydraFacial technology to deeply cleanse, exfoliate, and nourish the skin on your back. —Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Plus, its Triple-Hydration Complex of moisturizers like hyaluronic acid and fruit extracts ensures skin remains nourished for hours on end. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nurishen, from Anglo-French nuriss-, stem of nurrir, norrir, from Latin nutrire to suckle, nourish; akin to Greek nan to flow, noteros damp, Sanskrit snauti it drips

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nourish

• flourish

Kids Definition

nourish

verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish 

ˈnə-rish

1

: to promote the growth or development of

2

a

: to provide with food : feed

plants nourished by rain and soil

b

: to provide for : support, maintain

a friendship nourished by trust

Medical Definition

nourish

transitive verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish, ˈnə-rish 

: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed