heal

[heel]

verb (used with object)

1. to make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to health; free from ailment.

   Antonyms: irritate

2. 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.

   Synonyms: soothe, compose
   Antonyms: irritate

3. to free from evil; cleanse; purify.

   to heal the soul.

   Synonyms: disinfect, purge
   Antonyms: infect, soil

verb (used without object)

1. to effect a cure.

2. (of a wound, broken bone, etc.) to become whole or sound; mend; get well (often followed by up orover ).

noun

1. (in a video game) a category of spell that restores the health of a player character.

   I thought the party was gonna wipe, but a clutch heal saved our Monk and he finished off the boss alone.

heal

/ hiːl /

verb

1. to restore or be restored to health

2. (intr; often foll by over or up) (of a wound, burn, etc) to repair by natural processes, as by scar formation

3. (tr)

   1. to treat (a wound, etc) by assisting in its natural repair

   2. to cure (a disease or disorder)

4. to restore or be restored to friendly relations, harmony, etc

Other Word Forms

• healable adjective
• half-healed adjective
• preheal verb (used with object)
• unhealable adjective
• unhealed adjective
• well-healed adjective
• healing noun
• healer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heal¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of heal¹

Old English hælan; related to Old Norse heila, Gothic hailjan, Old High German heilen; see _hale ¹ , _whole

Synonym Study

See cure.

Example Sentences

But a quick scroll through my social media and there's a whole array of tips on how to heal it, stimulate it, even reset it - all to apparently reduce stress and anxiety levels.

Read more on BBC

This shift in priorities helps the skin heal faster.

Read more on Science Daily

Its bright red fruits, sometimes known as "desert cherries," have nourished and healed local communities for centuries.

Read more on Science Daily

“If therapy is a way to heal the trauma, sense memory is a way to reopen it,” he says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His Jackson is pathetic, passive and skittish around his baby’s mother, who he both longs to heal and tries to avoid.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alleviate 
• fix 
• improve 
• mend 
• rebuild 
• reconcile 
• regenerate 
• rehabilitate 
• rejuvenate 
• repair 
• restore 
• revive 
• settle 
• soothe 
• treat