Synonyms for foster

Most common

promote · encourage · cultivate · nourish · nurture

All synonyms

Verb

Adjective

Antonyms

eradicate, hamper, spoil

All antonyms of foster →

Definitions

1. v. 1

   To nurture or bring up offspring, or to provide similar parental care to an unrelated child.

2. adj. 1

   Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.

Related words

Word family

fosterage fostering fosterling

Phrases

foster child foster father

Forms

Past participle

fostered
e.g. fostered → promoted, encouraged, cultivated, helpt…

Example sentences

• promote We must promote commerce with neighboring countries.
• encourage You often encourage me to be good and hardworking.
• cultivate I continuously find ways to cultivate my passions.
• nourish The role of the placenta is to nourish the foetus.
• nurture You need patience to nurture new skills and talents.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

aid¹

4 letters

help¹, feed¹, rear¹

5 letters

favor², nurse¹, breed¹

6 letters

favour², harbor², succor²

7 letters

support², further², forward², protect², advance², promote², harbour², sustain², cherish², nurture², nourish², succour

9 letters

encourage³, entertain³, stimulate³, cultivate³, surrogate³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (favor² = 2 syllables).