as in nanny
a person employed to care for a young child or children
sent his little son back to his nurse so that he could return to his study to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to mother
to attend to the needs and comforts of
willingly lent a hand to nurse his grandmother in her final years, helping her get from one room to the other and making sure she was warm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to suckle
to give milk to from the breast
a new mother's decision to nurse her baby
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to have
to keep in one's mind or heart
he continues to nurse a tender affection for his first girlfriend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to baby
to treat with great or excessive care
nursed his sprained ankle for the rest of the week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to raise
to bring to maturity through care and education
as foster parents they accepted and nursed 16 needy children over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to encourage
to help the growth or development of
her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to spare
to use or give out in stingy amounts
he carefully nursed his energy during the marathon so that he would have something left for the final stretch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Cite this Entry
“Nurse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nurse. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
