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:
But Christian Rood of LeydenJar says companies like his can fortify Europe's position in what has become a global contest.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 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
The company needs to get Starship regularly flying to handle lunar missions for NASA, fortify its Starlink network and, in the future, deploy artificial-intelligence satellites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
I recognized the formulas—the oils and tinctures were to fortify the liver and kidneys, and the clay was a foot soak to draw toxins.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
It’s what fortifies our bodies and keeps us curious.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
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
Water may be scarce, and climate change may be ushering in more extreme droughts, but this landscape fortifies them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2024
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
For despair, that fortifies some men, did make of me a coward, and I stood in constant terror of the coming of death.
From The Deemster by Sir Hall Caine
Iodized table salt is mined from underground deposits, processed to remove other minerals and fortified with iodine, which is important for thyroid health and proper hormone production.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Attacks on government buildings in central Kyiv -- which are heavily fortified and ring-fenced by security barricades -- are rare, however.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
“If you need to destroy a bridge or any fortified facility, you can’t use a drone,” said Mikhail Kokorich, chief executive of Destinus, a Netherlands-based defense company whose drone and missiles are used by Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 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
General Douglas MacArthur, the officer in charge of the United States Army Forces in the Far East, abandons his home in Manila and relocates to the fortified island of Corregidor.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
Japan plays a critical role: It hosts major American bases and has been steadily fortifying its southwestern flank, a chain of islands stretching from Okinawa to Yonaguni, some 70 miles from Taiwan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 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
Pointedly, there was Timothy Snyder’s tidy pocket-sized handbook “On Tyranny” filled with 20 short but fortifying chapters of practical wisdom like “Do not obey in advance,” “Defend institutions” and “Believe in truth.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2025
“Yes,” I said, “but that was a special case because it was a fortress rather than a mountain, anyway. The Austrians had been fortifying it for years.”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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.
