nourish

1 of 2

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

nourisher

2 of 2

noun

nour·​ish·​er

-shə(r)

plural -s

: one that nourishes

Synonyms of nourish

Verb

• promote
• cultivate
• encourage
• nurture
• foster

Examples of nourish in a Sentence

Verb

Vitamins are added to the shampoo to nourish the hair.

a friendship nourished by trust

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Thus, nearly every part of your face is nourished for less than $4 apiece. — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026

Each contains a proprietary ingredient combination named VitaMega Complex, consisting of vitamin-C rich Kakadu plum, inositol to strengthen the hair fiber, and sacha inchi, an omega-dense oil that nourishes hair. — Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026

That makes regular movement, strength training, and nourishing your body about so much more than changing the number on the scale. — Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 24 Aug. 2026

The ritual concludes with an intensive moisturizing application that seals hydration, nourishes the skin, and leaves it soft, luminous, and ready for days under the Caribbean sun. — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

Middle English noryssher, from norishen + -er

First Known Use

Verb

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