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

Using a mulching mower when the leaves are dry to chop them into tiny bits that can be left on the lawn to nourish the soil is the best way to handle leaves. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025

Dandelion root tea has inulin, a prebiotic fiber that aids digestion by nourishing beneficial gut bacteria. —Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 29 Dec. 2025

Charlotte restaurants work hard, day in and day out, to nourish our bellies — and our spirits — with all kinds of food. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025

Expensive; best results with consistent use This body oil visibly smooth texture while deeply nourishing thinning, fragile-feeling skin. —Deanna Pai, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2025

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