heal

verb

ˈhēl 

healed; healing; heals

transitive verb

1

a

: to make free from injury or disease : to make sound or whole

heal a wound

b

: to make well again : to restore to health

heal the sick

2

a

: to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome : mend

The troubles … had not been forgotten, but they had been healed.

—William Power

b

: to patch up or correct (a breach or division)

heal a breach between friends

3

: to restore to original purity or integrity

healed of sin

intransitive verb

: to become free from injury or disease : to return to a sound state

The cut has already healed.

Synonyms of heal

• rehabilitate
• cure
• fix
• treat

Examples of heal in a Sentence

You've got to give the injury time to heal.

After the divorce, he needed some time to heal.

The ointment will help heal the wound.

Recent Examples on the Web

What to do nearby Boutique Hotel Alhambra is situated in Čikat Bay, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea and enveloped by fragrant, healing air that is the result of the island’s unique microclimate. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

That’s why enamel can’t heal the way skin or bone can, and why your body can’t replace any part that wears away or erodes. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026

For Wilder residents, the La Catedral raid remains an open wound that refuses to heal. — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Carson draws parallels between the familial traumas of those who remain and the broader societal wounds of a province still healing from decades of sectarian violence. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English helen, from Old English hǣlan; akin to Old High German heilen to heal, Old English hāl whole — more at whole

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing heal

• heal the rift/breach
• self-heal

Rhymes for heal

• beal
• chiel
• ciel
• creel
• deal
• diel
• eel
• feel
• feil
• heel
• keel
• kneel

Kids Definition

heal

verb

ˈhē(ə)l 

: to make or become healthy or whole

heal the sick

a cut that heals slowly

Medical Definition

heal

transitive verb

ˈhē(ə)l 

1

: to make sound or whole especially in bodily condition

2

: to cure of disease or disorder

heal injured tissues

intransitive verb

1

: to return to a sound state

the wound heals

2

: to effect a cure

healer

ˈhē-lər 

noun