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

The sleep masks are made of nourishing berry fruit complex, murumuru seed and shea butter, delivering intense moisture and antioxidants for smoother, softer lips in the morning. —Nora Colomer, Fox News, 1 Nov. 2024

The brand's formulas nourish dry hair and minimize concerns like breakage, frizziness, and split ends. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 31 Oct. 2024

Their Nourishing Daily Shampoo is formulated with botanical extracts and vitamins to strengthen strands and prevent breakage, nourish the hair and scalp, and cleanse away product buildup. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

The potent hydrating properties also nourished her strands without adding extra weight. —Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024

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