fortify

1 to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises Synonyms brace, forearm, nerve, poise, psych (up), ready, steel, strengthen Related Words arm; harden, inure, season, toughen; bolster, boost, buoy (up), buttress, enforce, prop (up), reinforce (also reenforce), support, sustain; cheer (up), comfort, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire; rally, rouse, stir Near Antonyms daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, psych (out), shake, unnerve; debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, prostrate, sap, soften, tire, undercut, undermine, weaken

2 to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force he downed another granola bar to fortify himself for the rest of the bike ride Synonyms beef (up), strengthen, harden, toughenRelated Words anneal, temper; firm (up), tone (up); energize, invigorate, vitalize; restrengthenNear Antonyms cripple, incapacitate, paralyze; damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure; break down, wear out; sap, undercut, undermineAntonyms debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, weaken

3 to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure bought lots of warm clothing to fortify ourselves against the cold Synonyms harden, indurate, inure, season, steel, strengthen, toughenRelated Words acclimate, acclimatize, adapt, adjust; anneal, temper; invigorate, vitalize; immunize; bolster, boost, brace, buttress, enforce, forearm, prop (up), reinforce (also reenforce), support; break in, limber (up), train; accustom, condition, habituate, naturalizeNear Antonyms emasculate, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, sap, weaken; cripple, debilitate, hamstring, incapacitate; sensitizeAntonyms soften