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

Each step is engineered to activate the next -- prepare with Pre-Exfoliating Foam, exfoliate with the Exfoliating Body Glove Set, cleanse with The Body Wash and nourish with The Dry Body Oil. —Tory Johnson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026

The prickly Moon in your 4th House of Security reaches out to nourishing Jupiter in your 12th House of Escapism. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026

There are majorana leaf and Japanese plum leaf extracts to soothe, protect, and promote an optimal scalp environment, along with argan oil, the brand’s signature ingredient rich in nourishing vitamin E, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. —Cathy Nelson, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026

Whether compost is hot or cold, the method turns leaves, weeds, and branches into nutrient-rich soil that nourishes plants and enhances garden soil structure. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 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