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

SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie $18 $13 Amazon SheaMoisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie gives every strand TLC, defining and coating curls with nourishing coconut oil and silk protein for a megawatt shine. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024

Cosrx Snail Mucin 96% Power Repairing Essence $25 $13 at Amazon This best-selling facial serum is jam-packed with nourishing ingredients that target dryness, fine lines, and skin elasticity. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024

These products are known to hydrate and nourish the skin while providing anti-aging benefits that everyone raves about. —Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2024

Gentle Rinse Hydrating Cream Cleanser Get your skincare routine off to a soothing start with this gentle cream cleanser that is chock full of nourishing ingredients. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 26 Nov. 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