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to fortify

to fortify

1 7.4
Add alcohol to a drink to make it stronger
  • verb
  • /ˈfɔːrtɪfaɪ/
: fortificar
  • He likes to fortify his cocktails with a splash of rum for an extra kick.
  • fortified wine

Examples

  • The bartender suggested fortifying my wine with a little whiskey for a more robust taste.

  • He'll buy himself a bottle of that fortified wine, drink it all up, and sleep in his truck or in the woods somewhere.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Atop the counter stood three bottles of fortified wine.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Hanson paused to summon a waiter and fortify himself with another glass of port.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • I've been up all night delivering Mrs McKenzie of twins... without so much as a dram to fortify me.

  • Rosenberg was fortifying himself with brandy while Cairo drank strong tea.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • To enhance the flavor, she decided to fortify the sangria with some fresh fruit brandy.

Synonyms

to spike
vsto fortify
  • NSFW
31 7.2

To put alcohol into a drink secretly

is done openly to increase alcoholic strength without secrecy
to lace
vsto fortify
  • NSFW
29 7.7

To secretly add alcohol or drugs to a drink

aims specifically to increase alcoholic strength rather than add other substances
to liquor
vsto fortify
9 7.0

To add alcohol to food or give people alcoholic drinks

focuses on increasing alcoholic strength rather than supplying drinks
to chaptalize
vsto fortify
  • Specialized
1 9.9

To add sugar to grape juice or fermenting wine to make more alcohol

adds alcohol directly to increase alcoholic strength rather than causing fermentation
to alcoholize
vsto fortify
1 8.8

To add alcohol to food or drink to make it alcoholic

adds alcohol specifically to increase alcoholic strength in beverages

Antonyms

2 4.2

A liquid that is weaker after adding water

How Alcoholic

to spike
  • NSFW
31 7.2
to fortify
1 7.4
dilute
2 4.2

Surface Forms

fortify infinitive
fortified past
fortified past participle
fortifying present participle
fortifies third person singular

Morphology

fortify = fort (transparent) = fort + ify

The verb is formed by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-ify' to 'fort' to mean 'make or render strong/fortified', which is directly inferable.

Etymology

The word fortify comes from the Latin word fortis meaning 'strong', and is related to fort 'a strong building'. So to fortify a drink is to make it 'stronger' by adding alcohol.