Synonyms of nursed

nursed

verb

past tense of nurse

1

as in healed

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

• healed
• treated
• mothered
• administered (to)
• ministered (to)
• looked after
• saw to
• aided
• supported
• looked to
• waited on
• did for
• cured
• cared (for)
• looked out for
• preserved
• took care of
• spoiled
• remedied
• conserved
• doctored
• provided (for)
• coddled
• pampered
• babied
• indulged
• humored
• catered (to)
• mollycoddled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignored
• neglected
• forgot
• overlooked
• slighted
• brushed (aside or off)

2

as in suckled

to give milk to from the breast

a new mother's decision to nurse her baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suckled
• breast-fed
• bottle-fed
• wet-nursed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weaned

3

as in had

to keep in one's mind or heart

he continues to nurse a tender affection for his first girlfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• had
• held
• retained
• harbored
• cherished
• entertained
• bore
• cultivated
• maintained
• kept
• fostered
• remembered
• nurtured
• carried
• hugged
• sustained
• held on to
• preserved
• hung on to
• treasured
• supported
• stuck (to)
• clung (to)
• cleaved (to)
• brooded (about or over)
• obsessed (about or over)
• fixated (on or upon)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignored
• dropped
• neglected
• denied
• refused
• disregarded
• forgot
• rejected
• overlooked
• declined
• abandoned
• repudiated
• scorned
• discarded
• deserted
• renounced
• quit
• disdained
• gave up
• abjured
• parted (with)
• erased
• forsook
• threw out
• expunged

4

as in spoiled

to treat with great or excessive care

nursed his sprained ankle for the rest of the week

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spoiled
• indulged
• babied
• dandled
• mothered
• pampered
• coddled
• pleased
• cosseted
• appeased
• satisfied
• mollycoddled
• cockered
• wet-nursed
• delighted
• humored
• catered (to)
• contented
• soothed
• obliged
• placated
• gratified
• gladdened
• mollified
• pacified

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abused
• controlled
• mistreated
• restrained
• misused
• disciplined
• oppressed
• maltreated
• neglected
• manhandled
• ill-treated
• mishandled
• violated
• injured
• hurt
• ill-used
• molested
• overlooked
• slighted
• tortured
• tormented
• harmed
• harassed
• outraged
• victimized
• persecuted

5

as in raised

to bring to maturity through care and education

as foster parents they accepted and nursed 16 needy children over the years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raised
• fostered
• nurtured
• bred
• reared
• fed
• taught
• nourished
• watched
• brought up
• promoted
• educated
• cultivated
• fathered
• cradled
• attended
• mothered
• trained
• instructed
• supplied
• schooled
• provided (for)
• disciplined
• led
• enlightened
• prepared
• tutored
• mentored
• ministered (to)
• forwarded
• guided
• cared (for)
• showed
• indoctrinated
• edified
• furthered
• directed
• shepherded
• minded
• advanced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abused
• mistreated
• ignored
• maltreated
• neglected
• mishandled
• injured
• hurt
• ill-treated
• harmed
• ill-used

6

as in cultivated

to help the growth or development of

her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cultivated
• encouraged
• promoted
• nurtured
• fostered
• nourished
• incubated
• forwarded
• furthered
• advanced
• advocated
• assisted
• championed
• supported
• endorsed
• financed
• funded
• backed
• aided
• upheld
• patronized
• staked
• endowed
• subsidized
• worked (for)
• advertised
• abetted
• publicized
• plugged
• boosted
• touted
• underwrote
• agitated (for)
• campaigned (for)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prevented
• hindered
• discouraged
• frustrated
• inhibited
• fought
• opposed
• prohibited
• barred
• forbade
• enjoined
• proscribed
• outlawed
• countered
• banned
• battled
• suppressed
• contended (with)
• checked
• repressed
• arrested
• stifled
• subdued
• halted
• combated
• retarded
• interdicted
• interfered (with)
• hobbled
• impeded
• squashed
• obstructed
• encumbered
• squelched
• snuffed (out)
• shackled
• fettered
• manacled

7

as in spared

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

• spared
• preserved
• conserved
• scanted
• skimped (on)
• doled out
• stinted (on)
• meted (out)
• shortchanged
• rationed (out)
• pinched
• portioned (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• poured
• showered
• rained
• heaped
• lavished

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nursed

Her eldest son moved in during the pandemic and nursed the orchard’s last remaining tree back to health. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026

Rescued by Tamijuddin, a Muslim friend of her father’s, the adolescent Sutara is nursed back to health by his family before being escorted safely to her brothers in Calcutta. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

More intimately, the French theorists nursed grand ambitions and old wounds. — Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to develop his gripping ability, something newborn macaques need to survive. — ABC News, 25 July 2026

Utah politicians felt very slighted and upset by the designation and nursed that grudge along for 20 years. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026

More important, Tubbs detected in Ferguson someone who, under the feral exterior, shared his affection for hard work and heterodox thinking and quietly nursed a desire to become part of something larger than himself. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Adult cats that haven’t nursed in over a decade will still knead blankets, laps and each other, with no milk anywhere in the picture. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

The textile mill that gave Berkshire its name was the original bad business, one Buffett nursed for 20 years before finally shutting it down. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 1 June 2026