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

The formula contains baobab oil to give it nourishing staying power. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Infused with Biotin and Magnesium, your skin will feel refreshed and nourished after every shower. —Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025

The Columbia boys’ hair was so lustrous and well nourished. —Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

James Beard Awards and international acclaim, and others merely wanting to serve and nourish their communities. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 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