fortify
Americanverb (used with object)
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fortifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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fortified,
past participle, past
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fortifying
present participle
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to protect or strengthen against attack; surround or provide with defensive military works.
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to furnish with a means of resisting force or standing strain or wear.
to fortify cotton with nylon.
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to make strong; impart strength or vigor to.
to fortify oneself with a good breakfast.
- Synonyms:
- reinforce, strengthen
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to increase the effectiveness of, as by additional ingredients.
to fortify a diet with vitamins; to fortify a lotion with lanolin.
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to strengthen mentally or morally.
to be fortified by religious faith.
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to confirm or corroborate.
to fortify an accusation with facts.
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Nutrition. to add one or more ingredients to (a food) to increase its nutritional content.
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to add alcohol to (wine or the like).
verb (used without object)
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fortifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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fortified,
past participle, past
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fortifying
present participle
verb
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(also intr) to make (a place) defensible, as by building walls, digging trenches, etc
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to strengthen physically, mentally, or morally
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to strengthen, support, or reinforce (a garment, structure, etc)
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to add spirits or alcohol to (wine), in order to produce sherry, port, etc
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to increase the nutritious value of (a food), as by adding vitamins and minerals
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to support or confirm
to fortify an argument with facts
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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fortifiernoun
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refortifyverb (used with object)
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underfortifyverb (used with object)
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fortifiableadjective
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nonfortifiableadjective
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nonfortifyingadjective
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unfortifiableadjective
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fortifyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fortifysimple
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fortifiessimple
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have fortifiedperfect
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has fortifiedperfect
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am fortifyingprogressive
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are fortifyingprogressive
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is fortifyingprogressive
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have been fortifyingperfect progressive
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has been fortifyingperfect progressive
Past
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fortifiedsimple
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had fortifiedperfect
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was fortifyingprogressive
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were fortifyingprogressive
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had been fortifyingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing fortify
Stay Strong: Forc and Fort
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"The Diary of Anne Frank," Vocabulary from the drama
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Nutrition - Introductory
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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:
Hendrick represents a significant addition to Hitschler’s defense and should immediately fortify the center of the Bruins’ front seven.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The company needs to get Starship regularly flying to handle lunar missions for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, fortify its Starlink network and, in the future, deploy AI data centers in space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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
Commerce Department committed $2 billion to fortify the domestic supply chain.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
She needed a few more makeshift weapons, and a way to fortify the locks on her windows and doors.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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
When she learns that her dying mother wants to make amends, her anger fortifies her, and she refuses to go to the hospital.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
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
Her hard fate fully shows how superstition fortifies the mind against compassion and the dictates of common sense.
From A Legacy to the Friends of Free Discussion by Benjamin Offen
Near the heavily fortified frontier dividing the Korean peninsula, the abandoned Woljeong-ri station is being recast as a symbol of South Korea's hopes to reconcile with the North.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
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
There are no happy endings here, at least ones that are fortified by the American way of life.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Foods such as dairy products, leafy green vegetables and fortified products are common dietary sources.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
Pride forbid, and whenever the longing grew very strong, he fortified his resolution by repeating the words that had made the deepest impression—“I despise you.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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
It is primarily tasked with repairing and fortifying the city’s more than 210,000 streetlamps — a frequent target of copper wire thieves — and maintaining its network of electrical vehicle charging stations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
There are limits to physically fortifying the cables.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 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
He cautiously crept up to the porch and—after pausing to take in a deep, fortifying, leg-steadying breath—shimmied through Duke’s doggy door.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
