nourish

/ˈnʌrɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnɜːrɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnər-ish ˈnə-rish/ (ame, mw)

nourish — verb

  • nourishpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • nourisheshe / she / it
  • nourishedpast simple
  • nourishing-ing form

1. To give a person, animal, or plant the food and important substances it needs in

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

To give a person, animal, or plant the food and important substances it needs in order to grow properly and stay healthy.

例句

A mother's milk naturally nourishes a baby for the first six months of life.

transitive: milk nourishes baby (literal feeding)

Théo nourishes his tomato plants with homemade compost every two weeks.

collocation: nourish [plant] with [substance]

同義詞
  • feed

    more general — any act of giving food, not necessarily with health in mind

  • nurture

    broader — includes emotional care and support, not just physical nutrition

  • sustain

    focuses on keeping alive at a basic level rather than promoting optimal health

反義詞
  • starve

    opposite — to deprive of food entirely

文法句型

nourish + object

用法筆記

Often used with body-related objects (skin, hair, body) in health and beauty contexts. The passive form 'be nourished by' is common in scientific and agricultural writing.

常見錯誤

❌She fed her houseplants with liquid fertiliser.
✅She nourished her houseplants with liquid fertiliser.
💡'feed' can mean simply giving food; 'nourish' emphasises providing the right substances for healthy growth.
❌The chef nourished the guests with a large meal.
✅The chef fed the guests a large meal.
💡'nourish' implies sustained health benefits, not a single act of eating.

2. To help something abstract — such as an emotion, ambition, or idea — develop and

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

To help something abstract — such as an emotion, ambition, or idea — develop and become stronger by giving it ongoing attention and support.

例句

Good teachers nourish a child's natural curiosity rather than suppressing it.

transitive + abstract object: nourish curiosity / interest

Rin nourished the hope of one day opening her own bookshop in the old town.

collocation: nourish a hope / a dream

同義詞
  • cultivate

    emphasises deliberate, ongoing effort to develop something

  • foster

    focuses on creating the right conditions for growth

  • encourage

    more general and less formal; does not imply sustained support

反義詞
  • suppress

    to stop a feeling or idea from growing or being expressed

文法句型

nourish + abstract noun

用法筆記

The object must be an abstract noun — a feeling (hope, love, curiosity), a belief (faith, trust), or a plan (ambition, dream). Cannot be used with concrete objects in this figurative sense.

常見錯誤

❌The manager nourished the team's new software.
✅The manager nourished the team's creative thinking.
💡'nourish' in this sense only works with abstract things, not physical objects or products.
❌She nourished his anger for years.
✅She nourished her dream of travelling for years.
💡'nourish' has a positive connotation; negative feelings like anger sound unnatural with this word.