fortify

verb for·ti·fy \ ˈfȯr-tə-ˌfī \

Updated on: 6 Dec 2017

Definition of fortify

fortified; fortifying

transitive verb

: to make strong: such as

a : to strengthen and secure (a place, such as a town) by forts or batteries

a city fortified by high walls

b : to give physical strength, courage, or endurance to

fortified by a hearty meal

c : to add mental or moral strength to : encourage

fortified by prayer

fortified by early successes

d : to add material to for strengthening or enriching

fortified milk

intransitive verb

: to erect fortifications

—

fortifier

play \ˈfȯr-tə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

See fortify defined for English-language learners

See fortify defined for kids

Examples of fortify in a Sentence

fortify a city against attack
a city fortified by high walls
Support for his theories has been fortified by the results of these experiments.
He took a deep breath to fortify himself before stepping onto the stage.
milk fortified with vitamin D

Recent Examples of fortify from the Web

The focus may have been on the needs in the rotation during the 2017 season, but the bullpen will also need to be fortified.

— c. trent rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, "The Reds will add this offseason, but they won’t go bananas," 13 Oct. 2017
In this view, Trump has pushed politics away from an ideological battleground and onto a cultural one, creating a new level of polarization that fortifies him in ways that traditional measures don’t fully capture.

— steve kornacki, NBC News, "Is Hillary Clinton Really to Blame for Trump?," 10 Oct. 2017
Iran is exporting arms and personnel to fortify Assad’s barbarism in Syria.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "Mr. President, Decertify the Iran Deal and Then Walk Away," 5 Oct. 2017
British, American, Italian, and German soldiers often found themselves fortifying or destroying the Mediterranean stonework of the Romans, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "The Axis Was Outmatched from the Start," 17 Oct. 2017
With that kind of sea rise, Bay Area airports would be underwater, unless fortified with expensive sea walls.

— stuart leavenworth, sacbee, "California’s new normal? Ever more-intense heat, fires, droughts and floods," 13 Oct. 2017
Once the winningest team in baseball, Houston’s limping to the finish line of the season, fortified by the acquisition of Justin Verlander but still struggling to win consistently.

— SI.com, "4. Houston Astros (86–57, plus-144, LT: 2)," 11 Sep. 2017
This detoxifying treatment boasts clary sage, eucalyptus, and sweet almond oils to fortify and rejuvenate your hair from root to tip.

— joane amay, Allure, "The Best Products for Braids, Locs, and Other Protective Hairstyles," 7 Sep. 2017
In that case, cultural heritage was sandbagged, bricked or fortified and much of the country’s most valuable art was smuggled out of the country in a bid to protect it from the coming conflict.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "New Fund Pledges to Protect Cultural Heritage from War and Terror," 21 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fortify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Medieval cities were fortified against attack by high walls, and volunteers may fortify a levee against an overflowing river by means of sandbags. Foods can be fortified by adding vitamins, but "fortified wines", such as sherry and port, have brandy (a "stronger" drink) rather than vitamins added to them. By adopting good exercise habits, you can fortify your body against illness. And fortifying needn't always be physical. An author's reputation may be fortified by the success of his new book, or a prosecutor can fortify a case against a suspect by finding more evidence.

Origin and Etymology of fortify

Middle English fortifien, from Anglo-French fortifier, from Late Latin fortificare, from Latin fortis strong

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

fortify Synonyms

Synonyms

brace, forearm, nerve, poise, psych (up), ready, steel, strengthen

Antonyms

debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, weaken

Related Words

arm; harden, inure, season, toughen; bolster, boost, buoy (up), buttress, enforce, prop (up), reinforce (also reenforce), support, sustain; cheer (up), comfort, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire; rally, rouse, stir

Near Antonyms

daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, psych (out), shake, unnerve; debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, prostrate, sap, soften, tire, undercut, undermine, weaken

FORTIFY Defined for English Language Learners

fortify

verb

Definition of fortify for English Language Learners

: to strengthen (a place) by building military defenses (such as walls, trenches, etc.)
: to make (someone or something) stronger
: to make (yourself) feel stronger or less fearful