healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

also ˈheltth-

1

: beneficial to health of body or mind

healthful living

2

: healthy

He felt incapable of looking into the girl's pretty, healthful face.

—Saul Bellow

healthfully adverb

healthfulness noun

Synonyms of healthful

• healthy
• good

Choose the Right Synonym for healthful

healthful, wholesome, salubrious, salutary mean favorable to the health of mind or body.

healthful implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition.

a healthful diet

wholesome applies to what benefits, builds up, or sustains physically, mentally, or spiritually.

wholesome foods

the movie is wholesome family entertainment

salubrious applies chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air.

cool and salubrious weather

salutary describes something corrective or beneficially effective, even though it may in itself be unpleasant.

a salutary warning that resulted in increased production

Examples of healthful in a Sentence

The meal was both healthful and satisfying.

one of the most healthful forms of exercise is a brisk walk

Recent Examples on the Web

Crystal Mountain, Michigan Founded in 1956 as a community ski area, Crystal Mountain (28 miles southwest of Traverse City) has become a destination for healthful, pampering getaways. —Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 7 Jan. 2026

When those healthful components are stripped away during processing, those benefits disappear. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026

There's a lot of advice out there on how to live a healthful life. —Colleen Murphy, Health, 25 Dec. 2025

Instead, the key is to pair complex carbohydrates with nutrients that help regulate blood sugar, such as healthful fats, protein, and fiber. —Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for healthful

• unhealthful

Video

Healthy vs. Healthful

Why both words are equally good for you.

Kids Definition

healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

1

: good for the health of the body or mind

healthful exercise

2

: healthy sense 1

healthfully

-fə-lē

adverb

healthfulness noun

Medical Definition

healthful

adjective

health·​ful ˈhelth-fəl 

: beneficial to health of body or mind

healthfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

healthfulness noun