Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

fortify

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of fortify

1 to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
  • Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises.
Synonyms of fortify

brace, forearm, nerve, poise, psych (up), ready, steel, strengthen
Words Related to fortify

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 of fortify

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 of fortify

beef (up), harden, strengthen, toughen
Words Related to fortify

anneal, temper

firm (up), tone (up)

energize, invigorate, vitalize

restrengthen
Near Antonyms of fortify

cripple, incapacitate, paralyze

damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure

break down, wear out

sap, undercut, undermine
Antonyms of fortify

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 of fortify

harden, indurate, inure, season, steel, strengthen, toughen
Words Related to fortify

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, naturalize
Near Antonyms of fortify

emasculate, enervate, enfeeble, exhaust, sap, weaken

cripple, debilitate, hamstring, incapacitate

sensitize
Antonyms of fortify

soften

Learn More about fortify

  1. See words that rhyme with fortify Dictionary: Definition of fortify Spanish Central: Translation of fortify Nglish: Translation of fortify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fortify for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up fortify? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games