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
-
(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
-
healernoun
-
healingnoun
-
prehealverb (used with object)
-
half-healedadjective
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healableadjective
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unhealableadjective
-
unhealedadjective
-
well-healedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
healsimple
-
healssimple
-
have healedperfect
-
has healedperfect
-
am healingprogressive
-
are healingprogressive
-
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:
He also sought to heal the wounds of Peru's past, urging former president Alberto Fujimori, who was tried and imprisoned for gross human rights violations by the security forces, to "personally apologize" to the victims.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The combination of reservoirs and desalination plants can heal the Southwest of perpetual drought, and California will probably be able to sell excess water to Arizona, Nevada and Northern Mexico.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Prayers for the Fernandez family to heal up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
His family said he will be remembered "for his belief that stories can help people heal, find purpose, and create change."
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
She could heal up a wen on the finger, or straighten a bone with her weeds, but only when she wanted to.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Time will move on, and I would say that time heals things.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
If I could boil my formula for the future of dementia care into two words, it would be this: Hope heals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
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
“And if it heals properly we’ll surprise her with the good news.”
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
It never healed, and Capra even skipped Riskin’s funeral.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
"I don't think that the scars have healed for many people around the country so I do think this is an unnecessary conversation to be having at this time," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
When his elbow healed, he dominated at the plate and on the mound in ways not even Babe Ruth could have imagined.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
By day 24, 80% of the mice treated with ABT-263 had completely healed wounds.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
When he had set it up in Athens he would at last be healed and at peace.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
In her statement, Pike said she is recovering "but healing is not the same as being okay."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
In the wake of that scandal, which sparked weeks of protests, some argued that Bass would be a healing force at City Hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
"I hope the victim and her family can sort of get over it as soon as possible in terms of healing and move on," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
“Being able to share some of the healing parts of our story, I think, is kind of our responsibility,” Laura Lentz says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Fresh wounds, old ones, wounds in various stages of pain and healing.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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