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hale

1
[ heyl ]
/ heɪl /
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See synonyms for hale on Thesaurus.com
adjective, hal·er, hal·est.
free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous: hale and hearty men in the prime of life.
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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 FROM hale

haleness, noun

Other definitions for hale (2 of 4)

hale2
[ heyl ]
/ heɪl /
verb (used with object), haled, hal·ing.
to compel (someone) to go: to hale a man into court.
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 ]
/ ˈhɑ leɪ /
noun
(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 ]
/ heɪl /
noun
Edward Everett, 1822–1909, U.S. clergyman and author.
George El·ler·y [el-uh-ree], /ˈɛl ə ri/, 1868–1938, U.S. astronomer.
Sir Matthew, 1609–76, British jurist: Lord Chief Justice 1671–76.
Nathan, 1755–76, American soldier hanged as a spy by the British during the American Revolution.
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

Words related to hale

blooming, fit, flourishing, husky, right, sound, stout, strapping, trim, well, able-bodied, alive and kicking, fit as a fiddle, healthy, hearty, in the pink, robust, sane, strong, vigorous

How to use hale in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hale (1 of 3)

hale1
/ (heɪl) /
adjective
healthy and robust (esp in the phrase hale and hearty)
Scot and Northern English dialect whole

Derived forms of hale

haleness, noun

Word Origin for hale

Old English hæl whole

British Dictionary definitions for hale (2 of 3)

hale2
/ (heɪl) /
verb
(tr) to pull or drag; haul

Derived forms of hale

haler, noun

Word Origin for hale

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

British Dictionary definitions for hale (3 of 3)

Hale
/ (heɪl) /
noun
George Ellery. 1868–1938, US astronomer: undertook research into sunspots and invented the spectroheliograph
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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