heal
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.
- Antonyms:
- irritate
-
to bring to an end or conclusion, as conflicts between people or groups, usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity; settle; reconcile.
They tried to heal the rift between them but were unsuccessful.
- Antonyms:
- irritate
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to free from evil; cleanse; purify.
to heal the soul.
verb (used without object)
-
to effect a cure.
-
(of a wound, broken bone, etc.) to become whole or sound; mend; get well (often followed by up orover ).
noun
verb
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to restore or be restored to health
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(intr; often foll by over or up) (of a wound, burn, etc) to repair by natural processes, as by scar formation
-
(tr)
-
to treat (a wound, etc) by assisting in its natural repair
-
to cure (a disease or disorder)
-
-
to restore or be restored to friendly relations, harmony, etc
Synonym Usage
See cure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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healableadjective
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unhealableadjective
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healernoun
-
prehealverb (used with object)
-
half-healedadjective
-
unhealedadjective
-
well-healedadjective
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healingnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has healedperfect 3rd person singular
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have healedperfect
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are healingprogressive
-
has been healingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am healingprogressive 1st person singular
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healssingular 3rd person
-
have been healingperfect progressive
-
is healingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
healingparticiple
Past
-
had healedperfect
-
had been healingperfect progressive
-
healedparticiple
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healedsimple
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was healingprogressive singular
-
were healingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of heal
First recorded before 900; Middle English helen, Old English hǣlan (cognate with Dutch helen, German heilen, Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan ), derivative of hāl hale 1, whole
Explanation
To heal is to recover or become healthy again. You'll need to wait until your blisters heal before you put your hiking boots back on and climb Mt. Everest. They say time can heal, or cure, a broken heart, while you can be sure that rest, an ice pack, and propping your foot up will heal your twisted ankle. The Proto-Germanic word khailaz, which means "to make whole" is the root of both heal and the closely related word health. Don't confuse heal with heel, which is the back part of your foot or the command that makes a dog stop.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A party that can’t diagnose itself can’t heal itself.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
That would confirm that the labor market is not merely avoiding deterioration; it is beginning to heal.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
"I didn't want to risk my mental health to such a degree that I couldn't heal it."
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
She said being forced to share custody compounded her trauma and made it harder to heal.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
As Alexei grew older, and the hemorrhages more life threatening, Alexandra began to rely on a Russian monk of legendary unctuousness, Grigory Rasputin, who promised to heal the czar-to-be.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
