Meaning & use
nourish
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To give a person, animal, or plant the food and substances needed for growth and good health.
Grammar: Takes an object: nourish the body. Often used in the passive: be well nourished.
Patterns
- nourish someone/something
- nourish someone with something
- be well/poorly nourished
A balanced diet nourishes the body and helps you stay healthy.
The soil in this garden nourishes the plants all summer.
The clinic works to nourish children who are not getting enough food.
verbtransitivefigurative
To help an idea, feeling, or relationship grow and become stronger over time.
Grammar: Takes an abstract object such as a hope, a friendship, or a dream.
Patterns
- nourish something
- nourish a hope/dream/friendship
Regular visits and long talks nourished their friendship for years.
She nourished a quiet hope that one day she would return home.
Good teachers nourish curiosity in their students.
Word forms
| third person singular | nourishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | nourished |
| past participle | nourished |
| -ing form | nourishing |
Common combinations
- well nourished
- The children were healthy and well nourished.
- nourish the body
- Fresh vegetables and whole grains nourish the body.
- nourish a hope
- He nourished a hope that the team would improve.
- nourishing meal
- After the long hike, we ate a warm, nourishing meal.
- nourish the soil
- Compost helps nourish the soil between plantings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- feed
- Feed is more direct and physical, meaning to give food, while nourish focuses on the health and growth that food provides.
- nurture
- Nurture is broader and often emotional, meaning to care for and encourage growth, while nourish usually refers to physical or figurative feeding.
- sustain
- Sustain means to keep something going or alive, often with the idea of support over time, while nourish stresses providing what is needed to grow stronger.
Opposites
Word family
- nourishment noun
- Food or other things needed for health and growth.
- nourishing adjective
- Helping to keep someone healthy and strong, especially of food.
- nourished adjective
- Having been given enough food or care to be healthy.
Commonly confused: nourish or nurture?
nourish vs nurture
Nurture means to care for and encourage someone's growth, often emotionally, while nourish is mainly about providing food or figurative sustenance.
Practice
A good breakfast ___ you for the whole morning.
Choose one answer.
The subject 'A good breakfast' is third-person singular, so the verb takes -es: nourishes. 'Nourish' would be correct only with a plural or I/you subject, and the other forms do not fit the present tense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nourish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.