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

Each type adds its own quality to autumn salads and wholesome pastas. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025

Our Test Kitchen has developed several wholesome quick and easy pasta recipes that match that time, including my go-to Cottage Cheese Alfredo. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2025

Even the return of a more mature Alexis Saelemaekers, who was a member of Milan’s last title-winning team in 2022, appears to have contributed to a more wholesome, less toxic environment. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025

The trailer opens with scenes of a seemingly wholesome town as the Hanlon family moves in. —Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025