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

• cure
• fix
• mend
• rehab
• rehabilitate
• set up

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

The pet rescue organization Anti-Cruelty Society took to Facebook the following day, explaining that Elvis was brought to them as a stray with a fractured pelvis, which had since healed. —Cathy Free, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023

The biopsy had tested only 12 tissue samples, which is why an MRI was recommended once the prostate healed from the invasive procedure. —Jeremy Helligar, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023

Rongen also had to heal with the trauma surrounding defender Jaiyah Saelua, a fa’afafine, or third gender, in Polynesian society. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023

The turmoil at OpenAI won’t be easy to heal, particularly as both Altman and Brockman have joined Microsoft — a key investor that’s rumored to own 49 percent of OpenAI. —Tom Warren, The Verge, 20 Nov. 2023

His face was damaged, but the soldier had a smile on his face and his arm wrapped around the surgeon who healed him. —Tony Holt, arkansasonline.com, 19 Nov. 2023

Farrow questioned how stable a torn ACL that healed on its own would be, compared to a reconstructed one. —Katie Camero, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023

Many claim that these special spots, where energy enters or projects out of the earth, have an almost mystical ability to heal and transform. —Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023

Kids in the Spotlight for Annual Film Awards Kids In The Spotlight, which empowers youth impacted by the foster system to heal from trauma through the power of storytelling and filmmaking, held its annual awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday with longtime supporter Ty Burrell. —Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2023

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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

• heal the rift/breach
• self-heal

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