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

• 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

Thankfully, natural deodorants have come a long way, and many have emerged that contain luxurious ingredients that nourish sensitive underarm skin and keep odor at bay. —Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Wood cabinets also need to be nourished, and Greene recommends products like Beezwax or Liquid Gold to restore the polish and shine to wood cabinets. —Heather Bien, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025

Now’s the time to invest in products that nourish and protect—especially for melanin-rich skin that thrives with consistency. —Larry Stansbury, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025

Love, Indus recommends applying its Amrutini Transforming Serum and Amrutini Precious Potion Vital Cream following the Detox Mask to nourish and strengthen your skin. —Abby Dupes, StyleCaster, 5 Sep. 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