nurtured

verb

past tense of nurture
1
as in cultivated
to help the growth or development of wanted to find the art school that would best nurture his artistic talent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in educated
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding she feels that her lifelong practice of reading the Bible daily has nurtured her in ways she cannot describe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sustained
to supply with nourishment nurtured their children through the long winters with home-cooked soup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nurtured Alongside his brother Éric, Nicolas was a leading figure in French cinema — and the broader audiovisual industry — a passionate producer who discovered and nurtured some of our greatest talents, and a loyal partner of @canalplus. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 That’s why financial and business education should be nurtured as a core life skill—one that gives people the confidence to chart their own path. — Kate Hayward, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Over his five-decade span as a band leader, Davis nurtured a remarkable array of young talents. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 At some point, the heart has to intervene for the soul of the clubs, which is often nurtured by those who come all the way through the ranks. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 Since the 12th century London's guilds have nurtured generations of artisans, preserving skills while allowing each craft to evolve with every new era. — Divia Thani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026 Another, paradoxically, was a recent period that was exceptionally wet, which nurtured thick grass in areas that were already overgrown. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026 The dynamic of these three together — and of Holland, Zendaya and Batalon in the roles — has been lovingly nurtured over four films and pays off here with genuinely affecting moments that will have some fans getting misty-eyed. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026 But the majority of the album is focused on the machinery that brings stars to life, with nods to the Velvet Underground, a band that was famously nurtured by a man who knew a little something about that. — Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nurtured
  1. cultivated
  2. educated
  3. sustained
  4. encouraged
  5. inspired
  6. nourished
  7. promoted
  8. fostered
Verb
  • According to organizers, the lineup represents a mix of projects that have already gained recognition at major festivals such as Sundance and South by Southwest, along with films cultivated locally.
    — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Over the past decade, Blank Forms has cultivated relationships with dozens of artists working across disciplines, engaged in experimental practice and cultural preservation.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultivated
Verb
  • Cusk, a Canadian-Brit educated at Oxford, has long been laurelled and condemned for her ruthless chronicles of selfhood.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Angie Nixon’s victory in the Senate primary was powered by voters who normally don’t gravitate to progressives in the state’s lowest-income and less-educated counties.
    — Dan Merica, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of educated
Verb
  • The original house sustained severe damage, DFR said, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Over two centuries of American market evolution produced a system that reaches every corner of the global economy, built on disclosure, modernized by technology, and sustained by the confidence of investors worldwide.
    — Cromwell Coulson, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of sustained
Verb
  • After Wednesday's hearing, Warren said he was encouraged by the judge's questions and hoped for a ruling before students return for the new semester.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The story reported that, wary of potential consequences for employment in California, Newsom had encouraged Bonta to find a solution out of court.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • My ‘Harmony’ massage is inspired by Lomi Lomi—a traditional Hawaiian healing technique known for its continuous, flowing strokes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Netflix has created an Academy Award-winning global phenomenon with KPop Demon Hunters that has inspired fans around the world with its powerful music, storytelling, and characters.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of inspired
Verb
  • Kim’s mother, who nourished her daughter’s interest in design, passed down a handful of pieces that add a touch of family heritage to the house.
    — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Hate grows if consistently nourished and the consequences of that are devastating.
    — Tazheen Nizam, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of nourished
Verb
  • In June, Howat was promoted to managing director following a recent leadership restructure.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Netanyahu is not on record as making that remark, but the slogan reflects a broader narrative promoted by Iranian hardliners, portraying women who do not wear the hijab as, at the very least, disloyal to their country.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of promoted
Verb
  • That reality seems to have fostered a sense of entitlement rather than gratitude.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • And as evidenced by Spade and the D’Allara family's reunion, the emotional connections fostered on that perilous day have persisted through two decades.
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fostered

Browse Nearby Words

nurture
nurtured
nurtures
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nurtured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nurtured. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cogent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All