nourish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth.
-
to cherish, foster, keep alive, etc..
He had long nourished the dream of living abroad.
-
to strengthen, build up, or promote.
to nourish discontent among the workers; to nourish the arts in one's community.
- Antonyms:
- discourage
verb
-
to provide with the materials necessary for life and growth
-
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.
Related Words
See nurse.
Other Word Forms
- nourishable adjective
- nourisher noun
- nourishing adjective
- nourishingly adverb
- overnourish verb (used with object)
- renourish verb (used with object)
- self-nourished adjective
- unnourishable adjective
- unnourished adjective
- well-nourished adjective
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”; nurse, -ish 2
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.
The salads brim with color and vibrancy, inviting us to rethink how we nourish our bodies when we’re hit with cold weather.
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026
Instead of getting bogged down on the day-to-day of your job, and your growing disgust for it, fixate on your bigger purpose, said Nancy Ancowitz, a career strategist, and do something to nourish that.
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
It’s a time to hibernate, rest and nourish yourself in preparation for the year of parties ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Social media influencers promote unproven supplements said to boost gut health, whilst milk and kombucha brands promise to nourish them with "good bacteria".
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
Mud would nourish you, where fire would only consume you, but fools and children and young girls would choose fire every time.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
