Synonyms of wholesome

wholesome

adjective

ˈhōl-səm 

1

as in healthy

enjoying health and vigor

a wholesome young woman in the prime of her life

Synonyms & Similar Words

• healthy
• well
• robust
• whole
• sturdy
• strong
• hale
• hearty
• sound
• fit
• in shape
• thriving
• able-bodied
• bouncing
• good
• tough
• well-conditioned
• lively
• in the pink
• hardy
• active
• vigorous
• in fine fettle
• agile
• rugged
• lusty
• vital
• iron
• sprightly
• stalwart
• prospering
• hard
• ambulatory
• clean-cut
• chipper
• flourishing
• nondisabled
• right
• spry
• all right
• blooming
• uncrippled
• flush
• sprightful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unhealthy
• sick
• diseased
• ill
• unfit
• unsound
• feeble
• weak
• sickly
• ailing
• unwell
• infirm
• enfeebled
• weakly
• disabled
• decrepit
• weakened
• fragile
• delicate
• sickened
• debilitated
• frail
• incapacitated
• undernourished
• worn-out
• bad
• troubled
• haggard
• run-down
• malnourished
• gaunt
• emaciated
• poorly
• differently abled
• afflicted

2

as in good

beneficial to the health of body or mind

trying to eat a more wholesome diet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• healthy
• good
• healthful
• medicinal
• salubrious
• nutritional
• restorative
• salutary
• refreshing
• tonic
• sanative
• useful
• corrective
• remedial
• nutritious
• curative
• clean
• sanitary
• hygienic
• salutiferous
• advantageous
• rehabilitative
• nourishing
• rejuvenating
• antiseptic
• recuperative
• aseptic
• alleviative
• nontoxic
• nonpoisonous
• rejuvenescent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unwholesome
• unhealthy
• harmful
• noxious
• injurious
• deleterious
• damaging
• toxic
• pernicious
• unhealthful
• infectious
• poisonous
• insalubrious
• sickening
• unsanitary
• insanitary
• unhygienic

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wholesome distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of wholesome are hale, healthy, robust, sound, and well. While all these words mean "enjoying or indicative of good health," wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.

a face with a wholesome glow

Where would hale be a reasonable alternative to wholesome?

Although the words hale and wholesome have much in common, hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.

still hale at the age of eighty

When is it sensible to use healthy instead of wholesome?

In some situations, the words healthy and wholesome are roughly equivalent. However, healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.

a healthy family

In what contexts can robust take the place of wholesome?

The synonyms robust and wholesome are sometimes interchangeable, but robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.

a lively, robust little boy

When can sound be used instead of wholesome?

The meanings of sound and wholesome largely overlap; however, sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.

a sound heart

When could well be used to replace wholesome?

While the synonyms well and wholesome are close in meaning, well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.

she has never been a well person

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wholesome

Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford shared a wholesome reunion as two former Manchester United team-mates played against each other during that Seoul-Barcelona friendly in South Korea on Thursday. —Ali Rampling, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025

Grant doesn’t pretend that the Blue Ridge is all wholesome water-bath canning, porch sitting, and verdant greenery. —Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2025

From my observations, the aquarium staff were there to provide a wholesome experience to visitors while maintaining a safe distance between the penguins and people. —Rocky Sharma, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

With its eerily formless threat, catchy theme song, wholesome teen heroes, and ingeniously practical ooze effects (a dazzling mix of in-camera and optical printing), The Blob straddles atomic-era paranoia and gooey creature-feature fun. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025