nourish
Americanverb (used with object)
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nourishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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nourished,
past participle, past
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nourishing
present participle
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to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth.
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to cherish, foster, keep alive, etc..
He had long nourished the dream of living abroad.
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to strengthen, build up, or promote.
to nourish discontent among the workers; to nourish the arts in one's community.
- Antonyms:
- discourage
verb
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to provide with the materials necessary for life and growth
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to support or encourage (an idea, feeling, etc); foster
to nourish resentment
Usage
What does nourish mean? Nourish means to promote healthy growth—to do or provide what’s needed for someone or something to be healthy and to grow and develop. The word is most commonly used in relation to food. Healthy food nourishes us. Parents try to nourish their children by feeding them healthy foods. Sometimes, food is said to nourish more than the body, as in A warm, home-cooked meal nourishes the body and the spirit. However, nourish can be used in many other contexts, including those that don’t involve food, as in Education nourishes our minds. In the context of the growth and development of things, such as communities and relationships, nourish means to build up or promote, as in This grant is intended to nourish the local arts and culture scene. A more common synonym for this sense of the word is nurture. In all of these senses, nourish is a somewhat formal and perhaps poetic word—it usually means something loftier than feed. Less commonly, nourish can mean to cherish, foster, or keep alive, especially something abstract, like hopes or dreams. This isn’t always something positive—you can nourish a grudge, for example. The word nourished is often used as an adjective, including in terms like well nourished, poorly nourished, undernourished, and malnourished. Things that nourish can be described with the adjective nourishing. The noun nourishment can refer to the act of nourishing or to something that nourishes. Example: As a mother, it’s my job to nourish my kids physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Synonym Usage
See nurse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nourishernoun
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overnourishverb (used with object)
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renourishverb (used with object)
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nourishableadjective
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nourishingadjective
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self-nourishedadjective
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unnourishableadjective
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unnourishedadjective
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well-nourishedadjective
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nourishinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nourishsimple
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nourishessimple
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have nourishedperfect
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has nourishedperfect
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am nourishingprogressive
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are nourishingprogressive
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is nourishingprogressive
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have been nourishingperfect progressive
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has been nourishingperfect progressive
Past
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nourishedsimple
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had nourishedperfect
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was nourishingprogressive
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were nourishingprogressive
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had been nourishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nourish
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English norisshe, from Old French noriss-, long stem of norir, from Latin nūtrīre “to feed”; see nurse, -ish 2
Explanation
When you nourish your imagination or your body, you give it what it needs to stay healthy and flourish (hey, that rhymes!). Whenever you eat a nutritious meal, you nourish your body. You can also nourish your dreams by allowing yourself to take chances and try what interests you, even if you're not sure what the outcome will be. To transform the verb nourish into an adjective, you can just add ing. Then, you can describe things that nourish you — like protein shakes or good poetry — as nourishing.
Vocabulary lists containing nourish
Motherlode: A Mother's Day Lexicon
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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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:
In particular, it does not account for how different foods nourish gut bacteria or how those bacteria transform undigested material into substances the body can use for energy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
The ranchers depend on snowmelt that feeds the Colorado River and its tributaries to nourish grasses and hay pastures for their herds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Foreign Minister Robert Dussey of Togo, which sponsored the resolution, said maps "guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions."
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
BORDEAUX, France—For 700 years, Château Carbonnieux relied on rainwater to nourish its grapes, a tradition that preserved the vineyard’s connection to the local terroir.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
It was wonderful how refreshed and strengthened he felt as the food began to nourish him.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
A rich stew of influences nourishes his work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
A free press that deals in facts and promotes diverse viewpoints is the water that nourishes a healthy democracy.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2025
Scientists have known for years that a lattice of blood vessels nourishes cells in the retina that allow us to see -- but it's been a mystery how the intricate structure is created.
From Science Daily ● May 24, 2024
Her book is an invitation to ask what nourishes us?
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
I like singing to the kalo, and I like that I understand how the land nourishes me.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
"It's enriched and nourished my life and my sense of my national identity so much to find out more and more about this," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“You can travel and be nourished instead of tired at the end.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
People in your life should make you feel safe, nourished and valued.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026
The first step is recognizing — and really believing — that repetition is often what allows people to stay nourished when energy, money, time or curiosity are in short supply.
From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2026
In addition, she nourished the hope that if she kept putting ideas into Clara’s head, sooner or later she would ask a question and regain her speech.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
But the Colorado ranchers insist that with their land-management practices, they are benefiting the ecosystem, nourishing the soil and capturing carbon in their grazing lands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Steinem would bring her coffee and bologna sandwiches—a desperate child’s conception of a nourishing meal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
"It's cliché but kind of creating and nourishing new life and new growth is just really the circle of life."
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
On top of that, the cultural obsession with efficiency doesn’t align with a diet that views cooking as a nourishing daily ritual.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Mama was always cooking up nourishing broths and porridges for forgotten old men and pale young mothers—on days, that is, when she herself was strong enough to stand at the stove.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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