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 creamy formula feels nourishing yet weightless, forming an ultra-thin, flexible film that moves with your expressions and then bounces back into place. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026

Sometimes a restaurant menu provides variety and excitement that makes nourishing yourself easier. — Jennifer Bradley Franklin, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

To the optimist, there was just enough out there to nourish hope. — Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

The ranchers depend on snowmelt that feeds the Colorado River and its tributaries to nourish grasses and hay pastures for their herds. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 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