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

What better way to nourish, or to intensify, the fictional figures whom you are hired to portray than to allow your life, offstage, to feed into them? —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024

Botrytis can live, nourish itself and multiply on live or dead plant material. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024

In turn, the nobility gave a small portion of their own life force to nourish the gods. —Kimberly H. Breuer, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024

Addressing immune health problems on a global scale will also require major investment in food security and sustainable agriculture, in a bid to improve every community’s access to nourishing foods. —Kari Nadeau, STAT, 4 Apr. 2024

The formula, which nourishes with a blend of vitamin E and shea oil, imparts a light-catching gloss. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024

With all of these nourishing ingredients, the formula provides a potent cleanse that, with regular use, reveals a more radiant complexion. —Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024

The grains are nourished by the sun, the soil and the water. —The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024

This year, in their ever-expanding quest to offer new and unique ways to unite and nourish their community, Summit has launched Membership, a platform to nurture connections, create spaces for meaningful relationships, inspire innovation, and invoke collaboration. —John Hall, Forbes, 29 Mar. 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