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verb

nutrire

feed

Dare da mangiare a una persona o a un animale per permettergli di crescere e restare in salute.

Definition & meaning

Nutrire means to nourish or to feed. It can refer to providing food to a person or animal, or to supplying what is needed for growth and health.

Figuratively, it means to nurture, foster, or harbor a feeling, hope, or idea.

Grammar & Word origin

  • Verb, usually transitive; it belongs to the third conjugation.
  • Its past participle is nutrito; the present tense includes nutro, nutri, and nutre.
  • It comes from Latin nutrire, meaning “to feed” or “nourish.”

Synonyms & antonyms

  • alimentare — “to feed” or “supply”; it can also refer to fueling a machine or sustaining a process.
  • sfamare — “to feed” in the sense of satisfying hunger, rather than providing nourishment generally.
  • coltivare — “to cultivate”; figuratively, it emphasizes developing a feeling or interest over time.
  • affamare — “to starve” or “deprive of food,” the opposite of feeding adequately.

Common phrases & collocations

  • nutrire un bambino — to feed a child
  • nutrire una speranza — to harbor a hope
  • nutrire dubbi — to have doubts
  • nutrire rispetto per qualcuno — to have respect for someone

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Examples

Devo nutrire il gatto ogni mattina.verb

I have to feed the cat every morning.

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