HEALTHY (healthier, healthiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: healthier    , healthiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does healthy mean? 

• HEALTHY (adjective)
  The adjective HEALTHY has 5 senses:

1. having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease

2. financially secure and functioning well

3. promoting health; healthful

4. exercising or showing good judgment

5. large in amount or extent or degree

  Familiarity information: HEALTHY used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HEALTHY (adjective)

Comparative: healthier   
Superlative: healthiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease

Context example:

staying fit and healthy

Similar:

anicteric (not affected by jaundice)

wholesome (sound or exhibiting soundness in body or mind)

well-preserved (used of older persons who are healthy)

water-loving ((of plants) flourishing with lots of water)

sun-loving ((of plants) flourishing in strong sunlight)

florid; rubicund; ruddy; sanguine (inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life)

rock-loving (of plants that flourish in a rocky environment)

full-blooded; hearty; lusty; red-blooded (endowed with or exhibiting great bodily or mental health)

hearty (consuming abundantly and with gusto)

hale; whole (exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health)

good; sound (in excellent physical condition)

firm (possessing the tone and resiliency of healthy tissue)

bouncing (vigorously healthy)

flushed; rose-cheeked; rosy; rosy-cheeked (having the pinkish flush of health)

Also:

fit (physically and mentally sound or healthy)

robust (sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction)

well (in good health especially after having suffered illness or injury)

wholesome (conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being)

Attribute:

health; wellness (a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease)

Antonym:

unhealthy (not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind)

Derivation:

health (the general condition of body and mind)

health (a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease)

healthiness (the state of being vigorous and free from bodily or mental disease)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Financially secure and functioning well

Context example:

a healthy economy

Similar:

sound (financially secure and safe)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Promoting health; healthful

Synonyms:

good for you; healthy; salubrious

Context example:

carrots are good for you

Similar:

wholesome (conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Exercising or showing good judgment

Synonyms:

healthy; intelligent; level-headed; levelheaded; sound

Context example:

no sound explanation for his decision

Similar:

reasonable; sensible (showing reason or sound judgment)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Large in amount or extent or degree

Synonyms:

goodish; goodly; healthy; hefty; respectable; sizable; sizeable; tidy

Context example:

a sizable fortune

Similar:

considerable (large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree)

 Context examples 

Bacteria are also used in making healthy foods like yogurt and cheese.

(Bacterial Infections, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

If you are not busy with a work assignment, you may be focused on finding ways to feel healthier, stronger, and leaner.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

You might be able to prevent some back injuries by maintaining a healthy weight, lifting objects with your legs, and using lower-back support when you sit.

(Back Injuries, NIH)

Researchers think the solids are where the healthy compounds are.

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The stem cells help the bone marrow recover and make healthy blood cells.

(Autologous Stem Cell Rescue, NCI Dictionary)

When this happens, you might have too much of some substances or too little of other ones that you need to stay healthy.

(Metabolic Disorders, NIH)

Minimally invasive surgery may cause less pain, scarring, and damage to healthy tissue, and the patient may have a faster recovery than with traditional surgery.

(Minimally invasive surgery, NCI Dictionary)

He was healthy and strong, and had nothing to do.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Minerals are important for your body to stay healthy.

(Minerals, NIH)

In medicine, a mineral is a nutrient that is needed in small amounts to keep the body healthy.

(Mineral, NCI Dictionary)