Synonyms of nurse

nurse 1 of 2

noun

ˈnərs 

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

• nanny
• sitter
• babysitter
• nursemaid
• nurser
• dry nurse
• amah
• ayah
• mammy
• au pair
• bonne
• duenna
• governess
• mademoiselle
• fraulein

nurse

2 of 2

verb

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

• mother
• heal
• treat
• minister (to)
• administer (to)
• look after
• look out for
• see to
• aid
• look to
• wait on
• take care of
• care (for)
• do for
• support
• baby
• cure
• doctor
• remedy
• preserve
• provide (for)
• conserve
• spoil
• cater (to)
• pamper
• mollycoddle
• coddle
• humor
• indulge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• slight
• neglect
• overlook
• brush (aside or off)

2

as in to suckle

to give milk to from the breast

a new mother's decision to nurse her baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suckle
• breast-feed
• bottle-feed
• wet-nurse

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

• have
• hold
• retain
• entertain
• harbor
• cherish
• bear
• hold on to
• keep
• remember
• cultivate
• hang on to
• maintain
• foster
• carry
• hug
• nurture
• support
• stick (to)
• sustain
• treasure
• preserve
• cling (to)
• cleave (to)
• brood (about or over)
• fixate (on or upon)
• obsess (about or over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• drop
• refuse
• neglect
• deny
• disregard
• overlook
• reject
• decline
• quit
• part (with)
• repudiate
• abandon
• scorn
• give up
• desert
• renounce
• discard
• forsake
• throw out
• disdain
• abjure
• erase
• expunge

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

• baby
• mother
• spoil
• indulge
• please
• dandle
• pamper
• cosset
• wet-nurse
• coddle
• mollycoddle
• appease
• satisfy
• delight
• cocker
• humor
• cater (to)
• content
• oblige
• placate
• soothe
• gratify
• pacify
• gladden
• mollify

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• control
• abuse
• discipline
• restrain
• mistreat
• misuse
• maltreat
• manhandle
• neglect
• oppress
• slight
• ill-treat
• hurt
• mishandle
• ill-use
• outrage
• violate
• overlook
• molest
• harass
• torment
• torture
• harm
• injure
• victimize
• persecute

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

• raise
• foster
• mother
• breed
• teach
• nurture
• watch
• educate
• bring up
• feed
• promote
• father
• school
• cradle
• nourish
• mentor
• rear
• minister (to)
• cultivate
• attend
• supply
• train
• provide (for)
• care (for)
• instruct
• forward
• tutor
• discipline
• guide
• lead
• prepare
• mind
• show
• further
• enlighten
• shepherd
• indoctrinate
• edify
• advance
• direct

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abuse
• mistreat
• maltreat
• ignore
• neglect
• hurt
• ill-treat
• harm
• ill-use
• mishandle
• injure

6

as in to encourage

to help the growth or development of

her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

• spare
• scant
• stint (on)
• conserve
• skimp (on)
• preserve
• portion (out)
• dole out
• mete (out)
• ration (out)
• pinch
• shortchange

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pour
• heap
• lavish
• shower
• rain

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nurse

Noun

Armed with a gun and a knife, Richard Speck broke into a townhouse on July 14, 1966, in the 2300 block of East 100th Street on Chicago’s South Side and killed eight student nurses who lived there and worked at South Chicago Community Hospital. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026

Taliban restrictions on movement, education and employment have limited women's access to care and threatened the future pipeline of female doctors, nurses and midwives. — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 10 July 2026

Verb

Eve — who had already welcomed her own baby before this incident — quickly showed off her caring instincts, cradling the bird in her arms, grooming it and even attempting to nurse it. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026

Since infants under 6 months shouldn’t drink water (babies over 6 months can take in modest amounts), replace the lost liquids by nursing more frequently or giving them extra formula. — Nancy Mattia, Parents, 8 July 2026

Phrases Containing nurse

• dry nurse