nourish

verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish 

ˈnə-rish

nourished; nourishing; nourishes

transitive verb

1

: nurture, rear

… to save my boy, to nourish and bring him up …

—Shakespeare

2

: to promote the growth of

no occasions to exercise the feelings nor nourish passion

—L. O. Coxe

nourished soccer as a sport in this country

needed to nourish his spiritual life

3

a

: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed

Plants are nourished by rain and soil.

b

: maintain, support

their profits … nourish other criminal activities

—Beverly Smith

nourisher noun

Synonyms

• advance
• cultivate
• encourage
• forward
• foster
• further
• incubate
• nurse
• nurture
• promote

Examples of nourish in a Sentence

Vitamins are added to the shampoo to nourish the hair.

a friendship nourished by trust

Recent Examples on the Web

Among these transparent options, this formula stands out for its skin benefits: It’s loaded with nourishing omegas from chia seeds to help strengthen the skin barrier. —Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024

Find it on Amazon Laura Geller’s Tinted Moisturizer Doubles as Foundation Bring a lightweight glow to your skin with this tinted moisturizer infused with nourishing ingredients, such as vitamins and hyaluronic acid. —Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2024

As a 14-year-old interested in skin care, Emily Chan thought dabbing her face with her mom’s fancy anti-aging products would help nourish her skin. —Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 8 May 2024

To keep the good vibes going, the sensitive Moon then harmonizes with communicative Mercury, nourishing valuable conversations that encourage emotional bonds to form and grow. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English nurishen, from Anglo-French nuriss-, stem of nurrir, norrir, from Latin nutrire to suckle, nourish; akin to Greek nan to flow, noteros damp, Sanskrit snauti it drips

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nourish

verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish 

ˈnə-rish

1

: to promote the growth or development of

2

a

: to provide with food : feed

plants nourished by rain and soil

b

: to provide for : support, maintain

a friendship nourished by trust

Medical Definition

nourish

transitive verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish, ˈnə-rish 

: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed