nourishing
Americanadjective
Usage
What does nourishing mean? 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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nourishing
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.
"It doesn't feel like homework, but it's also nourishing and you want to talk to your friends about it afterwards."
From BBC • May 13, 2026
The tablescape is also a quintessential expression of Padma, Payawal’s art practice, which focuses on nourishing conversations and community through food, ceramic and textile craft collaborations.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
Best of all, it’s snacky, which feels low-pressure, but nourishing enough to count as a meal.
From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026
It would be strategically worse than managed dependence because we’d be nourishing our own competition in the second-largest AI market in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025
No, worse: She was kimril, sweet and nourishing and bland.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
