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 three-night, four-day program aims to help guests nourish the inner self. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Bevel’s collection of face and beard wash, face gel, and exfoliating pads are all formulated with nourishing ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin C specifically to care for men’s skin. —Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 12 Dec. 2024

Art here serves as a natural supplement, a sensory remedy that nourishes both body and mind. —WWD, 11 Dec. 2024

Exposing twins to opportunities that nourish their own identities can benefit their individual development. —Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 6 Dec. 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