nourish

verb

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

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 passionL. 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 activitiesBeverly Smith
nourisher noun

Examples of nourish in a Sentence

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.
Botrytis can live, nourish itself and multiply on live and even dead plant material. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025 While research on the subject is limited, some experts believe castor oil may help nourish and moisturize the scalp, leading to less dandruff. Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025 Treatments include massages utilizing a mixture of orange, clove, ginger and seaweed, or emulating the movements of the sea to relieve muscular tension; a seaweed leaf wrap to soften and nourish the skin and skin renewal facials. Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025 The collection includes six at-home foot care staples like bath salts, exfoliating scrubs, nourishing balms and dry oils, all made in Germany with vegan formulations and 100 percent natural origin ingredients. Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for nourish

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nourish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nourish. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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
: to furnish or sustain with nutriment : feed

More from Merriam-Webster on nourish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!