healthy

adjective

ˈhel-thē How to pronounce healthy (audio)
Definition of healthynext
1
as in well
enjoying health and vigor always a hard worker, Grandma has remained healthy into her 80s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in good
beneficial to the health of body or mind the air in here isn't healthy ads that promote healthy eating habits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in substantial
sufficiently large in size, amount, or number to merit attention a healthy turnout of volunteers to plant trees on Arbor Day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in thriving
marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically coming out of a prolonged recession, the restaurant business seemed to be healthy again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word healthy distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of healthy are hale, robust, sound, well, and wholesome. While all these words mean "enjoying or indicative of good health," healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.

a healthy family

Where would hale be a reasonable alternative to healthy?

While in some cases nearly identical to healthy, hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.

still hale at the age of eighty

When is robust a more appropriate choice than healthy?

While the synonyms robust and healthy are close in meaning, robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.

a lively, robust little boy

When might sound be a better fit than healthy?

Although the words sound and healthy have much in common, sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.

a sound heart

When would well be a good substitute for healthy?

The words well and healthy can be used in similar contexts, but well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.

she has never been a well person

In what contexts can wholesome take the place of healthy?

The meanings of wholesome and healthy largely overlap; however, wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.

a face with a wholesome glow

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of healthy Texas needs healthy body measurements that promote natural beauty. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026 Last Thursday, the league issued a $500,000 fine to the Utah Jazz and a $100,000 penalty to the Indiana Pacers for sitting healthy players, believing their apparent tanking actions compromised the league’s competitive integrity. —Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026 For a hardy dinner, serve up a healthy helping of crispy Brussel sprouts alongside a nice piece of salmon over grits or polenta. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026 Kickstart your hair regrowth journey by scooping up the Mielle Organics Shampoo thousands of customers swear by for thicker, healthier hair. —Claire West, Parents, 14 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for healthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for healthy
  1. well
  2. good
  3. substantial
  4. thriving
  5. robust
  6. healthful
  7. sizable
  8. prosperous
Adjective
  • Last week, Spurs beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home and all was well with the world.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Oliver says often that the shoot was a really well execution of the script.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of well
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, makeup artists think spring breakers will pack their best cushion-y, cloud lips instead of their icy alternatives.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Kansas City figured its best sales pitch centered on its facilities and its location in the heart of America.
    — Sam McDowell Updated February 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of good
Adjective
  • Still, that leaves a substantial audience who will find much to enjoy in this grisly yet sensitive take on the old maxim that every baby is different.
    — Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Governor Abbott’s property tax reform plan includes a constitutional amendment to abolish school district maintenance & operations property taxes for homeowners, which will result in substantial property tax savings.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of substantial
Adjective
  • The shopping center is in the heart of one of the country’s most thriving commercial areas.
    — Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Underlying the circulation of Proust’s work in post-independence Ireland was a network of literary salons (including regular gatherings at Devenport O’Neill’s home) and little magazines along with thriving modern-language departments in the nation’s universities.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Definition of thriving
Adjective
  • Oakland’s council has swung in a less activist-friendly political direction this past year, awarding robust police surveillance contracts and entertaining more aggressive policies around clearing homeless encampments.
    — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Years of disinvestment, inconsistent arts funding and bureaucratic contracting delays have hollowed out the robust infrastructure that allows these artists to educate fellow New Yorkers.
    — Kimberly Olsen, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of robust
Adjective
  • There are healthful ways to incorporate any of them.
    — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Packed with fiber and two types of chocolate, these rich, fudgy brownies are a wholesome, healthful chocolate-lover’s dream.
    — Virginia Willis, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of healthful
Adjective
  • The Year of the Horse provides a natural opportunity for a sizable number of Western brands to connect to the holiday.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The Canary Islands have developed into a strong option for international productions, with sizeable local tax credits and an ecosystem of experienced production workers.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of sizable
Adjective
  • Even in the best of times, the film’s main characters weren’t prosperous.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
  • These and thousands of other BLS statistics describe a society that has grown more prosperous, and a workforce endlessly adaptive to change.
    — Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of prosperous

Browse Nearby Words

health spas
healthy
heap
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Healthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/healthy. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on healthy

Nglish: Translation of healthy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

'Buck naked' or 'butt naked'?

What does 'etcetera' mean?

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

The Words of the Week - Feb. 13

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?
See More

Popular

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All