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Definitions

nurture

[nur-cher] / ˈnɜr tʃər /
NOUN
development, nourishment
Synonyms
STRONG
breeding care diet discipline edibles education feed food instruction nutriment provender provisions rearing subsistence sustenance training upbringing viands victuals
Antonyms
STRONG
ignorance neglect negligence
WEAK
deprivation starvation
VERB
feed, care for
Synonyms
STRONG
back bolster cherish cultivate develop discipline educate foster instruct nourish nurse provide raise rear school support sustain tend train uphold
WEAK
bring up nursle
Antonyms
STRONG
abandon decrease deprive destroy discontinue discourage drop halt ignore learn lessen neglect repress stop
WEAK
starve

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sakamoto said her coach had told her that she could "nurture a future gold medallist. So maybe you’ll see me as a coach at the Olympics."

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

"The debate between nature and nurture is a long-standing discussion in both biology and society," says co-first author Wenliang Wang, PhD, a staff scientist in Ecker's lab.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

Like friendships and families, Kate says you have to invest and nurture your relationship throughout, not just at the start.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

American money and expertise helped to nurture the region’s car industry after World War II.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Any kind of musical, artistic or storytelling talent was wonderful to them and they felt it their duty to nurture and guard these things.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.