Definition of healthynext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word healthy distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of healthy are hale, robust, sound, well, and wholesome. While all these words mean "enjoying or indicative of good health," healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.

a healthy family

Where would hale be a reasonable alternative to healthy?

While in some cases nearly identical to healthy, hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.

still hale at the age of eighty

When is robust a more appropriate choice than healthy?

While the synonyms robust and healthy are close in meaning, robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.

a lively, robust little boy

When might sound be a better fit than healthy?

Although the words sound and healthy have much in common, sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.

a sound heart

When would well be a good substitute for healthy?

The words well and healthy can be used in similar contexts, but well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.

she has never been a well person

In what contexts can wholesome take the place of healthy?

The meanings of wholesome and healthy largely overlap; however, wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.

a face with a wholesome glow

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of healthy That failed, too, despite healthy Republican turnout in both states. David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026 As senior travelers increasingly seek vacations that support healthy aging and longevity beyond the four walls of a spa, resorts, tour operators, and destinations are embracing a more holistic approach to wellness. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026 Protein is crucial for maintaining a healthy and well-functioning body. Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2026 But the Northeast is also seeing growth, as locals sponsor affordable housing developments and try to expand access to healthy food. Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for healthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for healthy
Adjective
  • Her roommates, in their graying union suits, seemed happy enough with well water.
    Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • When complaint becomes habitual, one’s attention might automatically drift toward problems; the neural path is well trod.
    James Davis, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • For the mostly Hispanic agriculture and food processing workers, the data center boom hasn’t been all good.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Villa’s recent warm-up defeat to Bayern Munich, though a 2-1 loss, will have offered a useful gauge of what facing elite opposition demands and should stand them in good stead for the level of intensity this game in Salzburg will require.
    Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • But developers accustomed to CUDA may need to rewrite and optimize substantial portions of their existing code before moving their training workloads to Ascend.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Business organizations, for example, typically devote substantial resources to risk management.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • De Lesseps turned a fall from countess to tabloid fixture into a thriving cabaret career.
    Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The era is remembered as a golden age of prosperity, paired with a thriving art and culture scene—Toulouse-Lautrec posters, the Eiffel Tower (built in 1889), extravagant fashion, the Moulin Rouge, and the flourishing Impressionist art world.
    R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Wall Street experienced a robust session, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all hitting record highs.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The stock market has enjoyed robust growth during Lamont’s tenure, especially since the COVID pandemic, and those higher rates have allowed his administration to take maximum advantage of the surge.
    Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • In the wrong hands, a salad is a vapid strategy for healthful eating.
    Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The center, which opened in 2023, provides three healthful meals a day, such as fish and chicken soup, which are seen as good for mothers’ milk production.
    Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Pakistan must manage its sizeable Shiite population and its sensitive relationship with Tehran, while Turkey and Iran share concerns over Kurdish separatism despite competing elsewhere in the region.
    Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The timing shook out nicely, considering Berg would go on to be tapped to succeed Don Garber as MLS’ next commissioner and has subsequently been tasked with unloading his sizable ownership stake in LAFC.
    Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • But as the largest and most economically prosperous state in the country, its position is consequential.
    Justin Worland, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Memories of paradise Sentir Cubano holds that prosperous paradise so many Cubans remember.
    Sarah Moreno August 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Healthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/healthy. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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