healthy
Americanadjective
-
possessing or enjoying good health or a sound and vigorous mentality.
a healthy body;
a healthy mind.
- Antonyms:
- sick
-
pertaining to or characteristic of good health or a sound and vigorous mind.
a healthy appearance;
healthy attitudes.
-
conducive to good health; healthful.
healthy recreations.
- Synonyms:
- nourishing, nutritious
-
eligible for the Food and Drug Administration's label certifying that a food is suitable for helping consumers achieve a total diet that conforms to dietary recommendations.
-
prosperous or sound.
a healthy business.
-
Informal. fairly large.
I bought a healthy number of books.
adjective
-
enjoying good health
-
functioning well or being sound
the company's finances are not very healthy
-
conducive to health; salutary
-
indicating soundness of body or mind
a healthy appetite
-
informal considerable in size or amount
a healthy sum
Synonym Usage
Healthy, healthful, salubrious, salutary, wholesome refer to the promotion of health. Healthy, while applied especially to what possesses health, is also applicable to what is conducive to health: a healthy climate; not a healthy place to be. Healthful and salubrious are applied chiefly to what is conducive to health: healthful diet or exercise; a salubrious impact on mental outlook. Salutary suggests something that is conducive to well-being generally, as well as beneficial in preserving or in restoring health: salutary effects; to take salutary measures. It is used also to indicate moral benefit: to have a salutary fear of devious behavior. Wholesome has connotations of attractive freshness and purity; it applies to what is good for one, physically, morally, or both: wholesome food; wholesome influences or advice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of healthy
Explanation
Healthy means having good health. It's the opposite of sick, but also can mean "doing well" in a general sense. You can have a healthy attitude, or be served a healthy portion of food. Health is one of the most fundamental human concerns. The ubiquitous "How are you?" is often asking after a person's health. To remember healthy think of the proverb: "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise."
Vocabulary lists containing healthy
List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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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.
See Examples For:
That’s why experts urge people of all ages to think ahead and ponder their end-of-life wishes while they’re still healthy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Also, her feathers were very disheveled, which is not normal for a healthy bird,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
By preventing immune cells from keeping the brain's engine in a heightened state, the team hopes to restore healthy sleep and improve quality of life years before noticeable memory loss develops.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” he added, also thanking the military doctors and staff at Walter Reed Medical Center for their care.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
“In a normal, healthy relationship I would agree with you, but I don’t believe that’s the case here.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
According to folks online, the final treat is meant to taste like cookie dough — but healthier.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Understanding risk factors and taking action to prevent dementia can improve health and quality of life, helping people live longer, healthier and more independent lives," it said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The authors also note that reverse causation is possible, meaning healthier people may simply be more able to attend cultural events.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
Lofty goals can motivate change and encourage healthier habits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
The kapos were healthier and better fed than the rest of us, but they were still not fed as well as the Nazis.
From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz
Announcing the new measures, first proposed last year, Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said the ban "demonstrates our firm commitment to creating the healthiest generation of children ever".
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
The place is family-owned and probably has the healthiest ice cream you’ll find.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
The healthiest part of the labor market is, well, healthcare.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
It is easy to forget that, even in today’s healthiest countries, we are only four or five generations removed from a world where most people, most of the time, died of infectious disease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Dr. Medina wanted in on the fight, and promised her healthiest animals would help, too.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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.
