Synonyms

fortify

American

[fawr-tuh-fahy] / ˈfɔr təˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

to protect or strengthen against attack; surround or provide with defensive military works.
to furnish with a means of resisting force or standing strain or wear.

to fortify cotton with nylon.
to make strong; impart strength or vigor to.

to fortify oneself with a good breakfast.

Synonyms:

reinforce, strengthen
to increase the effectiveness of, as by additional ingredients.

to fortify a diet with vitamins; to fortify a lotion with lanolin.
to strengthen mentally or morally.

to be fortified by religious faith.

Synonyms:

embolden, hearten
to confirm or corroborate.

to fortify an accusation with facts.
Nutrition. to add one or more ingredients to (a food) to increase its nutritional content.
to add alcohol to (wine or the like).

verb (used without object)

to set up defensive works; erect fortifications.

fortify British

/ ˈfɔːtɪˌfaɪ /

verb

(also intr) to make (a place) defensible, as by building walls, digging trenches, etc
to strengthen physically, mentally, or morally
to strengthen, support, or reinforce (a garment, structure, etc)
to add spirits or alcohol to (wine), in order to produce sherry, port, etc
to increase the nutritious value of (a food), as by adding vitamins and minerals
to support or confirm

to fortify an argument with facts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of fortify

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English fortifien, from Middle French fortifier, from Late Latin fortificāre, equivalent to Latin forti(s) “strong” + -ficāre -fy

Explanation

If you add nutrients to something you fortify it. Food scientists have found ways to fortify cereal, but in addition to vitamins C and D, they usually add a lot of sugar. If you strengthen your defenses, you fortify them, perhaps by adding more arms or increasing your defensive walls. Sometimes the defenses you fortify will be tangible and sometimes the word is used metaphorically to mean give courage. If a castle was originally vulnerable to attack, the owner might fortify it by adding a moat — and maybe filling it with crocodiles. If you're nervous about giving a speech, you should fortify yourself with a pep talk first.

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Vocabulary lists containing fortify

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

fortify fortifies fortified fortifying

At the same time, businesses are working to fortify their networks against the growing risks of AI-powered cyberattacks, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

It’s an indication that decades of efforts to clear flammable plants around homes and fortify their exteriors against flames, heat and embers are being outpaced by increasingly extreme wildfire behavior and construction in fire-prone areas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

He has tried to fortify the land, closing off gateways, putting in concrete blocks or piles of logs, and digging rows of deep ditches to make it undrivable.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Vitamin D3 has a modifying effect on the immune system that could fortify the body against viral and bacterial diseases.

From Science Daily ● May 23, 2026

He and his twin brother Zethus undertook once to fortify Thebes, building a lofty wall around it.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Prebiotic fiber, from sources like legumes, fortifies the good bacteria in your digestive system and, in turn, benefits your metabolism and immune system.

From MarketWatch ● May 10, 2026

UC President James B. Milliken said the announced cuts would be a “death knell for innovative work that saves lives, grows our economy and fortifies our national security.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025

Every hour between the premiere and finale fortifies our understanding of all the Enterprise crew stands to lose if the Gorn were to defeat them.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2023

A shrinking and aging population has huge implications for the economy and for national security as Japan fortifies its military to counter China’s increasingly assertive territorial ambitions.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

From the first day out he isolates and fortifies himself against the very things that travel alone can give.

From Prowling about Panama by George A. Miller

These weapons allow the US to conduct precision strikes against hardened military targets, such as command bunkers or fortified military facilities, without putting manned aircraft in harm's way.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Speaking shortly before Monday’s attacks began, Trump further announced that the U.S. would strike Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified, underground nuclear site yet to be targeted since the war began Feb. 28.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

There are no happy endings here, at least ones that are fortified by the American way of life.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

Meanwhile Myanmar's loosely governed borderlands have become a hotbed for online scam centres often operating out of fortified compounds guarded by militants.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Doc Daneeka paused again and fortified himself with a huge breath for a piercing ejaculation of grief.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Japan is slowly beefing up its military, known as the Self-Defense Forces, and has spent years fortifying vulnerable islands stretching down to Taiwan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Writing about the fortifying effect of pairing oysters with cold white wine in “A Moveable Feast,” Ernest Hemingway declared, “I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026

These includes fortifying homes against wildfires, replanting fire-ravaged forests and thinning out vegetation with prescribed burns, goat grazing and manual thinning with heavy machinery to reduce the intensity of potential fires.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

Iran has been fortifying an underground complex near one of its nuclear facilities, according to analysis of new satellite images.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

I had worked upon my hands and knees, stooped it seemed for days, fortifying Breed’s and Winter’s Hills, raising works upon the scarred streets of Roxbury near Boston Neck.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023