nourish

1 of 2

verb

nour·​ish ˈnər-ish How to pronounce nourish (audio)
ˈnə-rish
nourished; nourishing; nourishes
Synonyms of nourish

transitive verb

1
: nurture, rear
… to save my boy, to nourish and bring him up …—Shakespeare
2
: to promote the growth of
… no occasions to exercise the feelings nor nourish passion.—L. O. Coxe
nourished soccer as a sport in this country
needed to nourish his spiritual life
3
a
: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed
Plants are nourished by rain and soil.
b
: maintain, support
Their profits … nourish other criminal activities.—Beverly Smith
nourisher noun

nourisher

2 of 2

noun

nour·​ish·​er
-shə(r)
plural -s
: one that nourishes

Synonyms of nourish

Relevance

Verb

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Examples of nourish in a Sentence

Verb Vitamins are added to the shampoo to nourish the hair. a friendship nourished by trust
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
That rinse-clean standard matters for anyone worried about buildup, since a scalp oil that lingers after washing can leave hair looking greasy rather than nourished. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 Cooking to nourish someone, though, shifts the focus from the cook to the person sitting at the table. — Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2026 The viral product is formulated with peppermint, pumpkin seed, and jojoba seed oils to nourish the scalp and strengthen hair. — Jacqueline Tempera, InStyle, 15 Oct. 2026 The title comes from the term used to describe a dead whale carcass sinking to the ocean floor, where its flesh becomes a smorgasbord for entire ecosystems, nourishing countless other marine life forms. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nourish

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English nurishen, from Anglo-French nuriss-, stem of nurrir, norrir, from Latin nutrire to suckle, nourish; akin to Greek nan to flow, noteros damp, Sanskrit snauti it drips

Noun

Middle English noryssher, from norishen + -er

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nourish was in the 14th century

Rhymes for nourish

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Browse Nearby Words

nourice
nourish
nourishable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nourish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nourish. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nourish

verb
nour·​ish ˈnər-ish How to pronounce nourish (audio)
ˈnə-rish
1
: to promote the growth or development of
2
a
: to provide with food : feed
plants nourished by rain and soil
b
: to provide for : support, maintain
a friendship nourished by trust

Medical Definition

nourish

transitive verb
nour·​ish ˈnər-ish, ˈnə-rish How to pronounce nourish (audio)
: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed
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