Word
nourish
Phoneticsnour·ish, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈnɝɪʃ/
UK/nˈʌɹɪʃ/
Definition
v. to provide food for someone or something so they can grow and stay healthy. It can also mean to support an idea or feeling so it becomes stronger.
v. to provide food or sustenance for growth and development; to support or maintain a physical or mental state. Often used in the context of soil, plants, or abstract concepts like hope and creativity.
Examples
“The soil needs to nourish the plants for them to grow.”
“A healthy diet is essential to nourish the body and maintain high energy levels throughout the day.”
“The philosopher argued that a society must nourish its citizens' intellectual curiosity to ensure long-term cultural and scientific progress.”
Examples
simple
“The soil needs to nourish the plants for them to grow.”
contextual
“A healthy diet is essential to nourish the body and maintain high energy levels throughout the day.”
complex
“The philosopher argued that a society must nourish its citizens' intellectual curiosity to ensure long-term cultural and scientific progress.”
Real-World Examples
“Eat Social's sandwich shop venture launched three months ago and it puts 100% of its profits towards its community meals programme , external , providing nourishing meals to groups in schools.” “But in both, you get a sense of what creative community means, and how nourishing and enriching that can be.” Etymology
From Middle English norischen, from Old French nouriss-, stem of one of the conjugated forms of norrir, from Latin nutriō (“to suckle, feed, foster, nourish, cherish, preserve, support”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/nourish