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

The trend is growing in the United States, fueled by claims of health benefits, but experts warn raw pet food can be deadly — diseases thrive in raw environments and can sicken the very pets the food is meant to nourish. —Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024

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, 28 Dec. 2024

Photo: Bravo Like any maternal figure worth her salt, Whitney sets out a huge, gorgeous charcuterie board to nourish her adult stepsons in celebration of one of their birthdays. —Kinsey Jasnoch, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024

It’s also made with five plant proteins and five ceramides, which nourish the skin barrier. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024

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

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