Synonyms of nurses

nurses 1 of 2

noun

plural of nurse

as in nannies

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

• nannies
• sitters
• nursemaids
• babysitters
• nursers
• dry nurses
• amahs
• ayahs
• mammies
• au pairs
• bonnes
• duennas
• governesses
• frauleins
• mademoiselles

nurses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of nurse

1

as in mothers

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

• mothers
• ministers (to)
• heals
• treats
• administers (to)
• looks after
• doctors
• looks out for
• looks to
• aids
• sees to
• waits on
• cares (for)
• does for
• supports
• takes care of
• babies
• cures
• remedies
• preserves
• provides (for)
• spoils
• conserves
• caters (to)
• pampers
• mollycoddles
• humors
• coddles
• indulges

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignores
• neglects
• forgets
• overlooks
• brushes (aside or off)
• slights

2

as in suckles

to give milk to from the breast

a new mother's decision to nurse her baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suckles
• wet-nurses
• breast-feeds
• bottle-feeds

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weans

3

as in has

to keep in one's mind or heart

he continues to nurse a tender affection for his first girlfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

• has
• holds
• retains
• harbors
• cherishes
• entertains
• bears
• keeps
• hangs on to
• holds on to
• cultivates
• remembers
• hugs
• fosters
• maintains
• treasures
• sticks (to)
• carries
• clings (to)
• nurtures
• supports
• sustains
• cleaves (to)
• preserves
• broods (about or over)
• fixates (on or upon)
• obsesses (about or over)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignores
• denies
• forgets
• drops
• neglects
• refuses
• parts (with)
• overlooks
• disregards
• rejects
• declines
• scorns
• repudiates
• disdains
• throws out
• deserts
• quits
• abandons
• discards
• gives up
• renounces
• abjures
• forsakes
• erases
• expunges

4

as in babies

to treat with great or excessive care

nursed his sprained ankle for the rest of the week

Synonyms & Similar Words

• babies
• mothers
• spoils
• indulges
• pampers
• wet-nurses
• pleases
• dandles
• mollycoddles
• coddles
• delights
• cockers
• cossets
• appeases
• caters (to)
• satisfies
• humors
• contents
• obliges
• placates
• gratifies
• soothes
• gladdens
• mollifies
• pacifies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abuses
• maltreats
• controls
• disciplines
• mistreats
• misuses
• restrains
• ill-treats
• mishandles
• oppresses
• neglects
• manhandles
• ill-uses
• violates
• overlooks
• hurts
• outrages
• molests
• slights
• tortures
• injures
• torments
• harms
• victimizes
• harasses
• persecutes

5

as in raises

to bring to maturity through care and education

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raises
• fosters
• mothers
• fathers
• nurtures
• breeds
• brings up
• schools
• teaches
• nourishes
• watches
• educates
• feeds
• promotes
• ministers (to)
• rears
• cultivates
• supplies
• disciplines
• trains
• minds
• cradles
• instructs
• attends
• mentors
• provides (for)
• cares (for)
• guides
• tutors
• leads
• prepares
• forwards
• advances
• shows
• shepherds
• indoctrinates
• furthers
• edifies
• enlightens
• directs

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abuses
• mistreats
• ignores
• maltreats
• neglects
• ill-treats
• ill-uses
• hurts
• injures
• harms
• mishandles

6

as in encourages

to help the growth or development of

her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• encourages
• promotes
• cultivates
• fosters
• nurtures
• advances
• advocates
• forwards
• assists
• nourishes
• furthers
• champions
• aids
• supports
• backs
• incubates
• funds
• finances
• endorses
• upholds
• stakes
• works (for)
• underwrites
• subsidizes
• advertises
• campaigns (for)
• endows
• plugs
• patronizes
• boosts
• abets
• agitates (for)
• touts
• publicizes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prevents
• discourages
• hinders
• counters
• contends (with)
• inhibits
• bars
• frustrates
• prohibits
• forbids
• outlaws
• bans
• proscribes
• enjoins
• fights
• opposes
• battles
• combats
• arrests
• retards
• checks
• interferes (with)
• interdicts
• squashes
• stifles
• subdues
• suppresses
• represses
• halts
• snuffs (out)
• hobbles
• impedes
• obstructs
• squelches
• encumbers
• shackles
• fetters
• manacles

7

as in spares

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

• spares
• skimps (on)
• scants
• doles out
• conserves
• portions (out)
• metes (out)
• preserves
• stints (on)
• shortchanges
• rations (out)
• pinches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• showers
• rains
• pours
• heaps
• lavishes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nurses

Noun

Flight attendants, pilots, and nurses all highly recommend compression socks because of their ability to improve circulation, reduce soreness, and curb the very serious risk of developing blood clots as a result of prolonged immobility. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026

Those excluded were primarily nurses, cooks and janitors stationed at state hospitals and prisons. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026

That state is expected to have a shortage of almost 60,000 nurses by 2035, according to a a 2024 report from the Florida Hospital Association. — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

About 15% of nurses reported holding more than one job in the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026

Just in case that gets rough, there’s an EMT in every ceremony, along with two security people, as well as three nurses and one doctor on site at all times. — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026

Teachers are in a blind spot, much like nurses who can’t bill as physicians do. — Kellie Lauth, Forbes.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Several nurses had attempted to defend Letby, but found their testimony discounted in favor of that offered by physicians. — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Caylee Noggle, president and CEO of the Georgia Hospital Association, said the shortage includes nurses, physicians, behavioral health professionals, and other health care workers. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Verb

At the family estate, Sybylla, who nurses inchoate hopes of becoming a writer, is to be remade into a suitable wife. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

Ultimately, Etna’s closest bond is with the itinerant medic Hong who nurses his emaciated, shrapnel-scarred body. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Rachel dates a shoe store operator named Lou (Bob Hoskins), while Charlotte nurses a crush on her handsome young school bus driver and flirts with Catholicism to the chagrin of her Jewish mother. — David Faris, TheWeek, 17 July 2026

After Robin is gravely injured, he is taken in by the sage prioress Brigid (Jodie Comer), who nurses him back to health at an island convent. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026

Her father — struggling with poverty and the grief over his wife's death — wants to shoot it, but Jessica secretly nurses the animal back to health, bringing her closer to her father in the process. — Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 25 Nov. 2025