fortify

Meaning

1. To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.
2. To support (one's or someone's opinion, statement, etc.) by producing evidence, etc.; to confirm, to corroborate.
3. To increase the nutritional value of (food) by adding ingredients, especially minerals or vitamins.
4. To impart fortitude or moral strength to (someone or their determination, or something); to encourage.
5. To make (something) defensible against attack by hostile forces.
6. To make (something) structurally strong; to strengthen.
7. To increase the defences of (an army, soldiers, etc.), or put (it or them) in a defensive position.
8. To secure and strengthen (a place, its walls, etc.) by installing fortifications or other military works.
9. (obsolete) To provide (a city, a fortress, an army, etc.) with equipment or soldiers.
10. To add spirits to (wine) to increase the alcohol content.
11. To install fortifications or other military works; also (sometimes figurative), to put up a defensive position.
12. (obsolete) To become strong; to strengthen.

Synonyms

strengthen

reinforce

toughen

support

barricade

beef up

spike

lace

harden

corroborate

gird

embattle

arm

build up

entrench

confirm

make strong

fort

tighten

intensify

garrison

invigorate

defend

temper

amplify

freeze

heighten

man

👨

play

promote

protect

ratify

rebuild

reconfirm

refresh

rigidly

secure

severely

stockade

strictly

substantiate

tone up

transistorize

underpin

validate

verify

vitaminize

vouch

wall

set in order

officialise

transistorise

back

🔙

vitaminise

accredit

activate

affirm

anneal

ascertain

authenticate

back up

bear out

bolster

bolster up

boost

build

buttress

cement

certify

cheer

comfort

consolidate

document

enclose

encourage

energize

establish

fence

Hyphenated as

for‧ti‧fy

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: fortifien

Cognate with French: fortifier

In summary

From Late Middle English fortifien, fortfien (“to strengthen (a castle, etc.) from attack; to strengthen (an army, etc.); to strengthen (a person), aid, support; to reinforce, support; to improve; to increase the efficacy of”), from Old French fortifier (modern French fortifier), from Late Latin fortificāre, the present active infinitive of fortificō (“to strengthen, fortify”), from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to ascend, rise up; to be elevated or up high”) or *dʰerǵʰ- (“to be firm; robust, strong”)) + -ficō (suffix forming causative or factitive, or other verbs).