healthy
Americanadjective
-
healthier,
comparative
-
healthiest
superlative
-
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 freedom helps them decompress, build resilience, and develop healthy habits for life.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
The Daily Telegraph leads on a "Dementia drug for healthy over-55s".
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
“We have to be really careful as clinicians to make sure that they’re healthy and safe for surgery,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
By eight weeks, their performance could not be statistically distinguished from that of healthy control mice.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
And Maya-Jade seemed like the kind of person who had a regular mom and dad who helped with school projects and packed healthy lunches in those fancy boxes with tiny compartments.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
In Dolly Parton's hometown of Sevierville, chef Derek Green is on a mission to promote the farm-to-table movement and healthier grains.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
"This is a programme for government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation."
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
So while child-safety advocates hope this settlement can usher in a new, healthier era of social media, Meta isn’t fully off the hook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Preliminary findings suggest that the therapies may reduce bacterial species associated with periodontal disease while increasing microorganisms linked to healthier gums.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Moving every day also keeps the cows healthier, because they can get away from their droppings, which can contain unhealthy parasites.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Avoiding drinking during pregnancy is the healthiest choice for both you and your baby.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 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
"I think as an English person, I was never very good at dealing with anger, and so this is the healthiest way I've found to release all of that and to express those emotions."
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
The healthiest things on the menu are the peppers and onions you can add to a pie.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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.
