Synonyms of cultivate

cultivate

verb

ˈkəl-tə-ˌvāt 

1

as in to develop

to come to have gradually

cultivated a taste for opera in order to fit in with his new circle of friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

• develop
• acquire
• gain
• form
• get
• adopt
• obtain
• achieve
• embrace
• attain
• absorb
• reach
• promote
• foster
• take on
• nurture
• take in
• nourish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lose
• abandon
• forsake
• desert
• shed
• reject
• discard
• unload
• ditch
• cast
• dump
• throw away
• throw out
• scrap
• jettison
• fling (off or away)
• slough
• shuck (off)
• junk

2

as in to promote

to help the growth or development of

cultivated a passion for learning among his students over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• promote
• encourage
• nurture
• foster
• nourish
• advance
• forward
• further
• assist
• incubate
• support
• advocate
• uphold
• nurse
• fund
• endorse
• underwrite
• finance
• aid
• subsidize
• patronize
• advertise
• endow
• back
• publicize
• work (for)
• champion
• boost
• campaign (for)
• stake
• abet
• plug
• tout
• agitate (for)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prevent
• hinder
• discourage
• inhibit
• prohibit
• frustrate
• enjoin
• forbid
• oppose
• proscribe
• fight
• combat
• bar
• outlaw
• counter
• ban
• interdict
• contend (with)
• suppress
• subdue
• stifle
• repress
• check
• battle
• impede
• halt
• retard
• arrest
• squelch
• interfere (with)
• obstruct
• squash
• encumber
• snuff (out)
• hobble
• shackle
• fetter
• manacle

3

as in to grow

to look after or assist the growth of by labor and care

in an attempt to produce New World counterparts of the wines that he had enjoyed in Europe, Jefferson cultivated several varieties of grapes at Monticello

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grow
• produce
• promote
• culture
• raise
• plant
• tend
• harvest
• crop
• propagate
• dress
• breed
• rear
• reap
• sow
• gather
• glean
• ripen
• sprout
• germinate
• root
• quicken

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• kill
• pick
• dig
• pull (up)
• cut
• pluck
• uproot
• hay
• extirpate
• mow

4

as in to harvest

to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on

we ought to cultivate the field out back

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harvest
• tend
• farm
• plant
• till
• crop
• reap
• hoe
• sharecrop
• harrow

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cultivate

After being Claudia’s full-time caretaker for years until her death in 2024 at age 96, Young relocated back to Santa Barbara and cultivated his social media audience by sharing insights into the music business. — Kyle Eustice, VIBE.com, 21 Oct. 2026

For years, the Bolsonaro family has cultivated ties with the MAGA movement. — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026

Vance speaks with the manipulative skill of a politician who has cultivated a rapid-fire style designed not to persuade, but to overwhelm. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

The challenge is not racing to construct a synthetic copy but cultivating the capacity to recognize, interface with and leverage what has been present all along. — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026