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 of nourish

• 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

The shampoo nourishes the scalp with panthenol and niacinamide, while the conditioner fortifies strands with lipids for thicker-looking hair that resists breakage. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

And while the clay helps keep excess oil in check, hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, bark extract, and castor seed oil nourish the skin for a smoother, plumper appearance. — Mariana Best, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2026

Interest in butter has spread recently, nourishing a strong demand for the dairy product. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026

It’s also formulated with capixl, redensyl, anagain, and procapil to nourish the scalp, reduce breakage, and promote thicker, stronger strands. — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 20 Oct. 2026

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