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

• advance
• cultivate
• encourage
• forward
• foster
• further
• incubate
• nurse
• nurture
• promote

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

Nexxus Repair & Nourish Ultra Lightweight Hair Oil The Nexxus Repair & Nourish Ultra Lightweight Hair Oil weightlessly nourishes the hair and boosts shine to prep strands for any look. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025

These balms will also keep your lips juicy, with nourishing sunflower seed and coconut oils. —Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 14 Jan. 2025

While a stick foundation may not seem like the easiest choice for those with dry skin, this is seriously creamy and formulated with a selection of nourishing ingredients (think squalane, BerryFlux Vita extract, camellia seed, and coconut oil) to soothe and calm skin for all-day wear. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025

But like the other products, it's got honey to nourish and soften strands. —Jackie Fields, People.com, 10 Jan. 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

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