hearty
Americanadjective
-
warm-hearted; affectionate; cordial; jovial.
a hearty welcome.
-
genuine; sincere; heartfelt.
hearty approval; hearty dislike.
-
completely devoted; wholehearted.
hearty support.
-
exuberant; unrestrained.
hearty laughter.
-
violent; forceful.
a hearty push; a hearty kick.
-
physically vigorous; strong and well.
hale and hearty.
-
substantial; abundant; nourishing.
a hearty meal.
-
enjoying or requiring abundant food.
a hearty appetite.
-
(of soil) fertile.
noun
-
a brave or good fellow, especially with reference to a shipmate.
-
a sailor.
adjective
-
warm and unreserved in manner or behaviour
-
vigorous and enthusiastic
a hearty slap on the back
-
sincere and heartfelt
hearty dislike
-
healthy and strong (esp in the phrase hale and hearty )
-
substantial and nourishing
noun
-
a comrade, esp a sailor
-
a vigorous sporting man
a rugby hearty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
heartinessnoun
-
overheartinessnoun
-
superheartinessnoun
-
overheartyadjective
-
quasi-heartyadjective
-
superheartyadjective
-
unheartyadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of hearty
First recorded in 1350–1400, hearty is from the Middle English word herti. See heart, -y 1
Explanation
Hearty describes abundant, full, and satisfying things, and lively, strong, and enthusiastic people. A bowl of thick chili with cheese and a glass of milk is hearty. A spoon of water with a grape? Not so hearty. You can't miss the "heart" in hearty. Words like "wholehearted" and "half-hearted" also have "heart" and are a help in remembering the adjective hearty. If you put your whole heart into anything from walking a dog to saying good morning to your friends, you're hearty and full of life. Something half-hearted is weak and not hearty. A loud laugh that fills a room is very hearty; you can almost feel its fullness. If it comes from the heart and adds well-being and happiness, it's probably hearty.
Vocabulary lists containing hearty
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
For centuries, they have dished up wine from the surrounding vineyards to wash down typically hearty central European fare.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Bringing some necessary comic relief is the fourth character, a hearty American woman, Cheryl-Ann, played with funny, galumphing exuberance by Donna Lynne Champlin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
There was another positive review from Screen International's Tim Grierson, who said it was "another delightful adventure that mines fresh emotional terrain while producing plenty of hearty laughs".
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
A small but hearty contingent of New Zealand cheered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Finn heard Ms. Morales say in a fake, hearty voice, and Natalie snapped back, “Does it matter? Would you let me go back to bed if I didn’t?”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In the perennial war between the aesthetes and the hearties, the hearties do not always win.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2012
On the first reading I overdid the "Oooh-arr me hearties" piratical voice, on the grounds that if you can't camp things up reading to your children at bedtime there's no point going on.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 3, 2011
Right then me hearties, we are under way for the second half.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2010
This year's Rolleo, attended last week by hearties from 1,200 camps, was distinguished by the joyous rite of selecting "Pauline Bunyan," a suitable mate for skyscraping Paul.
From Time Magazine Archive
When he heard them stir he clapped his hands, and cried: ‘Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! My hearties!’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Don’t miss some returning favorites, such as the barbacoa tamal de res, in which the beef is pleasantly tender, or the braised pork belly adobo, one of the heartier dishes at the festival.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
After the holidays, top the salad with a runny fried egg for a heartier meal evocative of its bistro roots.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
Kowalski would squeeze them into rehydrated soup to make meals heartier.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 19, 2023
We need a heartier, sturdier leaf to hold up to the rich thickness of the dressing.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2023
And so I went to work each day in the quarry, a bone-breaking job that killed heartier men than me, and waited to die.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Seven years later to the day, former “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson marked the anniversary of Khashoggi’s killing by slinging some of his heartiest har-hars at the Bakr al-Sheddi Theater.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2025
The heartiest proto–quantum computers today boast hundreds of qubits, far short of the millions or billions they will probably need to operate error-free.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 20, 2023
It’s astonishing how easily our worst fears are transformed into our heartiest laughs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
The heartiest of all the soups here, this laksa is fortified with shrimp, bopping deep-fried tofu, chicken, a boiled egg and interrupted by fiery chili.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
An those teeth behind him at the tip of his tail, as he gave the heartiest jack-knife he had ever given.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
