heal

heal

verb

Definition of HEAL

1

to restore to a healthy condition <a low-fat vegetarian diet, moderate exercise, and stress management help heal a diseased heart> <heal the sick>

Synonyms cure, fix, mend, rehab, rehabilitate, set up

Related Words attend (to), care (for), doctor, medicate, minister (to), nurse, physic, treat; fortify, rejuvenate, renew, resuscitate, revitalize, revive; alleviate, relieve, remedy, repair

Near Antonyms cripple, damage, disable, harm, hurt, impair, injure, lacerate, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, wound; afflict, ail, debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, lay up, sap, sicken, waste, weaken

2

to become healthy and strong again after illness or weakness <most of the soldiers could go home while they were still healing from their wounds>

Synonyms come back, gain, heal, mend, pull round [chiefly British], rally, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back

Related Words come around, come round, come to, improve, pick up, revive; cheer (up), perk (up); pull through, survive; recruit

Near Antonyms ail, collapse, come down, sicken; decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen; regress, relapse

3

to bring about recovery from <time heals all wounds, even those of the heart>

Synonyms heal, mend, remedy

Related Words allay, alleviate, assuage, relieve; palliate, salve, soothe; ease, lighten, moderate, temper; doctor, nurse; medicate, treat; diagnose

Near Antonyms aggravate, worsen; misdiagnose, overdiagnose, underdiagnose