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

My brother’s fiancée turned me on to these ones from Touchland, which not only have easy-pump spray applicators, but are enriched with nourishing aloe vera and sweet scents like watermelon and peach. —Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026

The formula features nourishing essential oils like sunflower, safflower, sesame, and sweet almond to soften and support the barrier, while lavender, juniper, and citrus calm your body (and mind). —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 12 Apr. 2026

It's formulated with the label's game-changing Alpha Keratin 60KU, which nourishes the scalp, repairs damage, and reinforces hair strength. —Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026

Invite connection by allowing small gestures to nourish trust. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 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