healthy

[hel-thee]

adjective

healthier, healthiest 

1. possessing or enjoying good health or a sound and vigorous mentality.

   a healthy body;

   a healthy mind.

   Synonyms: robust, hearty, hale
   Antonyms: sick

2. pertaining to or characteristic of good health or a sound and vigorous mind.

   a healthy appearance;

   healthy attitudes.

3. conducive to good health; healthful.

   healthy recreations.

   Synonyms: nourishing, nutritious

4. eligible for the Food and Drug Administration's label certifying that a food is suitable for helping consumers achieve a total diet that conforms to dietary recommendations.

5. prosperous or sound.

   a healthy business.

6. Informal.,  fairly large.

   I bought a healthy number of books.

healthy

/ ˈhɛlθɪ /

adjective

1. enjoying good health

2. functioning well or being sound

   the company's finances are not very healthy

3. conducive to health; salutary

4. indicating soundness of body or mind

   a healthy appetite

5. informal,  considerable in size or amount

   a healthy sum

Other Word Forms

• healthiness noun
• healthily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of healthy¹

First recorded in 1545–55; health + -y ¹

Synonym Study

Healthy, healthful, salubrious, salutary, wholesome refer to the promotion of health. Healthy, while applied especially to what possesses health, is also applicable to what is conducive to health: a healthy climate; not a healthy place to be. Healthful and salubrious are applied chiefly to what is conducive to health: healthful diet or exercise; a salubrious impact on mental outlook. Salutary suggests something that is conducive to well-being generally, as well as beneficial in preserving or in restoring health: salutary effects; to take salutary measures. It is used also to indicate moral benefit: to have a salutary fear of devious behavior. Wholesome has connotations of attractive freshness and purity; it applies to what is good for one, physically, morally, or both: wholesome food; wholesome influences or advice.

Example Sentences

The findings emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through actions such as keeping a stable body weight, avoiding smoking, staying physically active, improving sleep, and preventing or managing chronic illnesses.

Read more on Science Daily

“Their job was to be in the community teaching people how to eat healthy food,” she said.

Read more on Salon

In so many ways, Thomas has made me a happier, more efficient—and healthier—worker.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Because growing enough personalized CAR-NK cells takes time and the patient’s cells may not always be healthy enough for reliable use, scientists have been exploring an alternative: creating NK cells from healthy donors.

Read more on Science Daily

When fumarate levels drop, cells recycle too many of their healthy mitochondria, resulting in a loss of strength.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• active 
• athletic 
• fresh 
• healthful 
• hearty 
• lively 
• normal 
• robust 
• strong 
• tough 
• vigorous