heal
Americanverb (used with object)
-
heals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
healed,
past participle, past
-
healing
present participle
-
to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.
- Antonyms:
- irritate
-
to bring to an end or conclusion, as conflicts between people or groups, usually with the strong implication of restoring former amity; settle; reconcile.
They tried to heal the rift between them but were unsuccessful.
- Antonyms:
- irritate
-
to free from evil; cleanse; purify.
to heal the soul.
verb (used without object)
-
heals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
healed,
past participle, past
-
healing
present participle
-
to effect a cure.
-
(of a wound, broken bone, etc.) to become whole or sound; mend; get well (often followed by up orover ).
noun
verb
-
to restore or be restored to health
-
(intr; often foll by over or up) (of a wound, burn, etc) to repair by natural processes, as by scar formation
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(tr)
-
to treat (a wound, etc) by assisting in its natural repair
-
to cure (a disease or disorder)
-
-
to restore or be restored to friendly relations, harmony, etc
Synonym Usage
See cure.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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healernoun
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healingnoun
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prehealverb (used with object)
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half-healedadjective
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healableadjective
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unhealableadjective
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unhealedadjective
-
well-healedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
healsimple
-
healssimple
-
have healedperfect
-
has healedperfect
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am healingprogressive
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are healingprogressive
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is healingprogressive
-
have been healingperfect progressive
-
has been healingperfect progressive
Past
-
healedsimple
-
had healedperfect
-
was healingprogressive
-
were healingprogressive
-
had been healingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of heal
First recorded before 900; Middle English helen, Old English hǣlan (cognate with Dutch helen, German heilen, Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan ), derivative of hāl hale 1, whole
Explanation
To heal is to recover or become healthy again. You'll need to wait until your blisters heal before you put your hiking boots back on and climb Mt. Everest. They say time can heal, or cure, a broken heart, while you can be sure that rest, an ice pack, and propping your foot up will heal your twisted ankle. The Proto-Germanic word khailaz, which means "to make whole" is the root of both heal and the closely related word health. Don't confuse heal with heel, which is the back part of your foot or the command that makes a dog stop.
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:
It didn’t matter that “While incarcerated, Christa worked to heal the impact of childhood abuse and neglect.”
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
When he was finally set free two years ago as part of an extraordinary multi-country prisoner swap, it took him almost as long to heal.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
One reason wounds often take longer to heal with age involves the gradual accumulation of cells known as senescent cells.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Through reading her mother’s diary entries, Tomlinson began to heal from the impossible standards she set for herself to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Some had turned into sores, swollen and painful with pus inside, but they couldn’t heal properly because they were never dry long enough.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Tyndale introduced the English people to a God who eats with sinners, heals the sick and comforts the grief-stricken: a loving God on a mission to rescue mankind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
"I had 16 weeks completely off bowling, made sure the bone heals well and from there it's ramping up," said Cummins.
From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2025
But time heals all boring Main Events and fans were not ready to see Cena go out with a whimper in his final match.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025
In 1986, an article in the New Journal of Medicine by Dr. Harold Dvorak suggested that cancer behaves very much like a wound that never heals.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 10, 2025
This bush has poisonous berries, yet its wood often heals wounds that nothing else will.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
Scotty died before the fracture had completely healed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
By day 24, 80% of the mice treated with ABT-263 had completely healed wounds.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
"When we finally broke that seal of talking about it, it healed us, in a way," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
"If those wounds are not healed it can have a really detrimental impact, not only on the people concerned but also on the reputation of the institution."
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
“I fell down the waterfall, and by the time I got to the bottom, it was all healed up.”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
“Through the arts, I found my way to healing and transformation. Then I said, ‘How can I fulfill a need that was missing in my life?’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
He returned to Vietnam years later on a trip that his daughter, Angelina Bigelow, said was healing for him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
That’s kind of what you’re talking about, bringing people back together, healing divides.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
Its definition of "allurement" includes employment, free education at a religious institution, a promise of marriage, a "better lifestyle" and "divine healing".
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
All around the sides of the stone were detailed carvings, depicting scenes from Martin’s life: deeds of valor and works of skillful healing.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
