Meaning & use
nurturing
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Giving the care, warmth and support that helps someone or something grow and do well.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after a verb: a nurturing teacher; she is very nurturing.
Patterns
- a nurturing environment
- nurturing toward someone
The school offers a nurturing environment for shy children.
She has a nurturing personality and makes everyone feel welcome.
A nurturing parent listens before reacting.
noununcountable
The process of caring for and encouraging the growth of a person, plant or skill.
Grammar: No plural; often followed by 'of': the nurturing of young talent.
Patterns
- the nurturing of something
The nurturing of young players is the club's main goal.
Careful nurturing helped the seedlings survive the cold.
He credits his grandmother's nurturing for his love of books.
Common combinations
- nurturing environment
- A nurturing environment helps children try new things without fear.
- nurturing relationship
- They built a nurturing relationship over many years.
- nurturing parent
- As a nurturing parent, he always asked about their day.
- warm and nurturing
- The nurse was warm and nurturing with the patients.
- nurturing care
- Newborn animals depend on nurturing care.
Synonyms and how they differ
- caring
- Caring is the everyday word for kindness toward others, but nurturing adds the idea of helping someone grow.
- supportive
- Supportive stresses backing someone's goals, while nurturing also suggests gentle tending over time.
- tender
- Tender emphasizes gentleness and affection rather than development.
- motherly
- Motherly describes warm care in the way a mother gives it, but it can sound limiting or gendered, which nurturing avoids.
Opposites
Word family
- nurture verb
- to care for and help something grow
- nurturer noun
- a person who nurtures
- nurture noun
- the care and upbringing given to a person, as in nature versus nurture
- nurturance noun
- the quality of providing care and support
Commonly confused: nurturing or nature?
nurturing vs nature
Nurture is the upbringing and care a person gets, in contrast to nature, which is the qualities they are born with.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence: 'The nursery school has a ___ atmosphere where children feel safe.'
Choose one answer.
Nurturing describes an atmosphere of care that helps children grow. Hostile and indifferent are negative, and strict does not imply warmth.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nurturing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.