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

While lip balm is great for hydrating and nourishing your lips, a lip primer takes things further by creating a grippy, smooth base that helps lipstick apply evenly, last longer, and stay put without smudging or feathering. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 Mar. 2025

Their new Santa Barbara Strawberry Body Mist features a bright blend of strawberry, dewy pink peony and solar musk that is not only scrumptious but nourishing thanks to baobab oil and aloe. —Bea McMonagle, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

The blends of organic oils help keep the skin hydrated, nourish the skin and eliminate any wrinkles and scars. —Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025

Wood-gobbling life forms, in turn, nourish other living things. —Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 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