hale

1
[ heyl ]
See synonyms for hale on Thesaurus.com
adjective,hal·er, hal·est.

  1. free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous: hale and hearty men in the prime of life.

Origin of hale

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English (northern and Scottish); Old English hāl “sound, uninjured”; see origin at whole,heal

Other words for hale

Opposites for hale

Other words from hale

  • haleness, noun

Words Nearby hale

Other definitions for hale (2 of 4)

hale2
[ heyl ]
verb (used with object),haled, hal·ing.

  1. to compel (someone) to go: to hale a man into court.

  2. to haul; pull.

Origin of hale

2
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English hal(l)en, hailen “to drag, pull,” from Old French haler, from Germanic; compare Dutch halen “to pull, fetch”; akin to Old English geholian “to get, obtain,” German holen “to fetch”; see also haul

Other words from hale

  • haler, noun

Other definitions for hale (3 of 4)

hale3
[ hah-ley ]
noun

  1. (in Hawaii) a simple thatched-roof dwelling.

Origin of hale

3
First recorded in 1885–90; from Hawaiian; literally, “house, hall, building”

Other definitions for Hale (4 of 4)

Hale
[ heyl ]
noun

  1. Edward Everett, 1822–1909, U.S. clergyman and author.

  2. George El·ler·y [el-uh-ree], /ˈɛl ə ri/, 1868–1938, U.S. astronomer.

  1. Sir Matthew, 1609–76, British jurist: Lord Chief Justice 1671–76.

  2. Nathan, 1755–76, American soldier hanged as a spy by the British during the American Revolution.

  3. Sarah Jo·se·pha [joh-see-fuh], /dʒoʊˈsi fə/, 1788–1879, U.S. editor and author.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hale in a sentence

  • Was the hale old gentleman going to make a fool of himself after all?

  • Father is as likely to live as either of us—is hale and strong—with a back unbent, and a step as firm as your own.

    The World Before Them | Susanna Moodie

  • Simultaneously, Generals hale and Wheaton were coming forward with their columns, each having had some hard fighting on the way.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman

  • At this opportune moment Lieutenant hale came galloping up with the rear guard.

  • In 1901 he gave his first address, and he confessed that Dr. hale had influenced him greatly in this work.

    Ways of War and Peace | Delia Austrian

British Dictionary definitions for hale (1 of 3)

hale1

/ (heɪl) /

adjective

  1. healthy and robust (esp in the phrase hale and hearty)

  2. Scot and Northern English dialect whole

Origin of hale

1
Old English hæl whole

Derived forms of hale

  • haleness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for hale (2 of 3)

hale2

/ (heɪl) /

verb

  1. (tr) to pull or drag; haul

Origin of hale

2
C13: from Old French haler, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German halōn to fetch, Old English geholian to acquire

Derived forms of hale

  • haler, noun

British Dictionary definitions for Hale (3 of 3)

Hale

/ (heɪl) /

noun

  1. George Ellery. 1868–1938, US astronomer: undertook research into sunspots and invented the spectroheliograph

  2. Sir Matthew. 1609–76, English judge and scholar; Lord Chief Justice (1671–76)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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