hearty
Americanadjective
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warm-hearted; affectionate; cordial; jovial.
a hearty welcome.
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genuine; sincere; heartfelt.
hearty approval; hearty dislike.
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completely devoted; wholehearted.
hearty support.
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exuberant; unrestrained.
hearty laughter.
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violent; forceful.
a hearty push; a hearty kick.
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physically vigorous; strong and well.
hale and hearty.
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substantial; abundant; nourishing.
a hearty meal.
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enjoying or requiring abundant food.
a hearty appetite.
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(of soil) fertile.
noun
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a brave or good fellow, especially with reference to a shipmate.
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a sailor.
adjective
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warm and unreserved in manner or behaviour
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vigorous and enthusiastic
a hearty slap on the back
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sincere and heartfelt
hearty dislike
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healthy and strong (esp in the phrase hale and hearty )
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substantial and nourishing
noun
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a comrade, esp a sailor
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a vigorous sporting man
a rugby hearty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hearty
First recorded in 1350–1400, hearty is from the Middle English word herti. See heart, -y 1
Explanation
Hearty describes abundant, full, and satisfying things, and lively, strong, and enthusiastic people. A bowl of thick chili with cheese and a glass of milk is hearty. A spoon of water with a grape? Not so hearty. You can't miss the "heart" in hearty. Words like "wholehearted" and "half-hearted" also have "heart" and are a help in remembering the adjective hearty. If you put your whole heart into anything from walking a dog to saying good morning to your friends, you're hearty and full of life. Something half-hearted is weak and not hearty. A loud laugh that fills a room is very hearty; you can almost feel its fullness. If it comes from the heart and adds well-being and happiness, it's probably hearty.
Vocabulary lists containing hearty
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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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.
Hearty Earth welcomes people of all backgrounds and incomes to try the food it offers.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
It also updated its ingredients list with improved bread, including new Artisan Italian and Hearty Multigrain options, and improved ingredients, like fresh mozzarella and smashed avocado, Black Forest ham, steak and rotisserie-style chicken.
From Salon • Jul. 5, 2023
Hearty breakfasts, pizzas, burgers and milkshakes in a town just off I-70 in the middle of the Swell.
From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022
You’ll like Tacoma Where rail meets sail, Where all are prosperous, Hearty and hale, Down on Commencement Bay, A New York’s growing, day by day, Tacoma, the peer of all.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2022
Mrs. Hearty possessed no illusions about her sister's capacity to contrive any man's domestic happiness.
From Mrs. Bindle Some Incidents from the Domestic Life of the Bindles by Jenkins, Hebert
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.
