nourishing

Nourishing is an adjective that describes things that nourish—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. Nourishing food is filled with nutrients that help us to grow and stay healthy. A more common word to describe such food is nutritious.

However, nourishing can be used in many other contexts, including those that don’t involve food, as in a nourishing atmosphere for students. 

Example: As a mother, it’s my job to provide my kids with things that are physically, mentally, and emotionally nourishing.

The first records of the word nourishing as an adjective come from the 1300s. Its base word, nourish, comes from the Latin verb nūtrīre, meaning “to feed” or “to care for.” The words nurture, nutrition, nutritious, and nurse are based on the same root.

Nourishing is closely associated with food, and even when it’s used in ways that don’t literally involve food, it usually keeps this association. A nourishing relationship helps to nourish you emotionally in the way that food nourishes you physically.

People who don’t get enough nourishing food can become undernourished or malnourished.

What are some other forms related to nourishing?

• nourish (verb)

What are some synonyms for nourishing?

• wholesome
• nutritious
• sustaining
• nurturing

What are some words that share a root or word element with nourishing? 

• nourishment
• undernourish
• undernourished
• malnourished
• nurture
• nutrition
• nutritious
• nurse

What are some words that often get used in discussing nourishing?

• food
• feed
• body
• mind
• soul
• spirit
• nutrient
• healthy
• grow
• strong
• develop

Nourishing and its related words are closely associated with food, but they can be used in a variety of contexts.

95% of those saying "It's perfectly possible to cook nourishing food for your children on a budget" actually mean "My Mum wasn't on a budget but would have given it a go."

— Paul Sinha (@paulsinha) October 26, 2020

hi, are you doomscrolling?

It's okay to be tired and overwhelmed. It's reasonable to be sad, frustrated, and angry.

You still deserve nourishing food, adequate rest, as well as screen breaks for your mental health. Very little of this website is worth sacrificing sleep for.

— Karen K. Ho (@karenkho) September 15, 2020

Just like the foundations of a recovery journey, we planted our Cordyline in a nourishing, safe and suitable environment. We are now looking forward to watching it flourish in it's steps of growth ✨ pic.twitter.com/6m8tVSF6rs

— Action on Addiction (@ActionAddiction) November 3, 2020

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of nourishing?

A. wholesome
B. nutritious
C. weakening
D. sustaining