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:
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
Eric Lauer, imported to fortify a starting rotation without Glasnow and Snell, worked six innings to record the victory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Commerce Department committed $2 billion to fortify its domestic quantum supply chain, acquiring stakes in companies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 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
As shown here, they were required to fortify their new strategic hamlets, 1962.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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
The Dodgers reacquire reliever Joe Kelly and add starter Lance Lynn from the White Sox as the team fortifies its pitching staff ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2023
The deal, announced Tuesday, fortifies the interior of the Steelers offensive line as Pittsburgh builds around second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
In a parallel to the sequence in which Bill fortifies his neighborhood, we see Joel and Ellie stock up for their road trip, grabbing clean clothes, toilet paper, deodorant and other basics.
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2023
The writer replies in the negative, and fortifies his opinion by the authority of a bull of Clement VIII., against violating the seal of confession.
From Guy Fawkes or A Complete History Of The Gunpowder Treason, A.D. 1605 by Thomas Lathbury
And once Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises bankroll their respective super-squads’ fortified headquarters, they attract the universe’s talent.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The civil war has seeded instability across Myanmar, creating fertile ground for organised crime groups running transnational scam operations to set up shop in fortified compounds, according to monitors.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 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
The missile is named after the Battle of Khaybar, the 628 campaign in which the Prophet Muhammad’s forces conquered the fortified oasis of Khaybar, then held by Arabian Jews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
They thought nearby Baltimore, with its fortified harbor and busy port, was the more likely target.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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
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
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
A rosy link of pork and beef spiced with ground caraway, smoked as much for preservation as for flavor, this fortifying nosh needs no refrigeration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
We were fortifying the Hill in one Night.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
