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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 Continue reading … BETTER BREAKFAST – Try these smart tips for healthier eating first thing in the morning. FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025 However, Thomas — when healthy — is one of the game's best at his position and was named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2022. Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 Earlier this year, before disbanding the C.D.C.’s vaccine panel, Kennedy unilaterally announced that the agency would no longer recommend covid vaccination for healthy children or pregnant women. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025 For healthy skin, experts advise that protection is important not only for preventing cancer, but for anti-aging benefits as well. Renée Onque, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for healthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for healthy
Adjective
  • Beneath the surface, though, all is not well.
    Ian King, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The ads for it were…well, pure 1970s.
    Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • All of the cats who tested this litter adjusted to it quickly and easily — some even had a little play date in their box, kicking and scratching, which is a good sign!
    Kayla Blanton, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Leisure’s best new hotels of 2021, Wander the Resort offers 10 luxurious glass-and-timber cabins along the quiet northern shores of West Lake.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • After new state data showed substantial academic gains, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education members defended a six-figure consulting contract Tuesday that raised questions earlier this year about family connections to the district.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • America hasn't seen substantial gains in pay equity or general support for women workers for the last several administrations, Robbins said.
    Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • From a once thriving fleet, only 17 vessels remain in America’s University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System.
    Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Some farms have even started producing honey thanks to the thriving bee population.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Naturally robust, dividing daylilies takes a bit of elbow grease.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Film Festival with a robust lineup led by female filmmakers, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in international cinema through diverse storytelling approaches.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Lubetzky launched Kind in 2004, aiming to create snacks that were both healthful and socially responsible.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Now’s the time to enjoy them in a healthful and elegant appetizer.
    Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Delaying this meal was linked with greater risk of death in a sizable 20-year study.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Sep. 2025
  • It is surrounded by a sizeable black bezel.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet foreign powers feuding over these precious resources have destroyed countless lives as well as any hope of a prosperous future.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Every life saved strengthens the foundations for a more stable, secure, and prosperous global community.
    TrickleUp, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Healthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/healthy. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on healthy

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