healthier; healthiest
1
a
: enjoying good health
healthy children
tips for staying healthy
: free from disease
Damping off rots healthy seedlings at soil level, breaking the heart of the gardener as surely as it breaks tender stems.—
Leslie Land
Leslie LandA person with heart disease will not be able to tolerate the same doses and drugs as a person with a healthy heart.—Sallie Tisdale
Sallie Tisdale
b
: not displaying clinical signs of disease or infection
A patient with HIV may be healthy for several years before developing either the cluster of symptoms identified as AIDS or any of the bacterial, viral, fungal or protozoal infections known as AIDS Related Complex …—Al Veerhoff
Al Veerhoff2
: beneficial to one's physical, mental, or emotional state : conducive to or associated with good health or reduced risk of disease
healthy foods
a healthy lifestyle
… walk three miles every day … a beastly bore, but healthy.—G. S. Patton
G. S. Patton3
: showing physical, mental, or emotional well-being : evincing good health
a healthy complexion
has a healthy appetite
The best thing about a good sense of humor, of course, is that it's a sure sign that you have a healthy attitude—always a refreshing check in the plus column.—Glamour
Glamour4
a
: prosperous, flourishing
a healthy economy
b
: not small or feeble : considerable
a healthy sum of money
healthiness
noun
Much has been made in recent years of the healthiness of the Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on fruit, vegetables, fish and olive oil.
—R. W. Apple, Jr.
R. W. Apple, Jr.
variants
or less commonly healthily
healthier; healthiest
: in a way that is beneficial to one's health
Let's face it: As much as we like to eat healthy, the old sweet tooth sometimes gets the best of us.—Denise I. O'Neal
Denise I. O'NealIt's the time of year where fitness centres are full of well-intentioned people who have New Year's resolutions to live healthier.—Doug Lunney
Doug LunneyThe aim is not to live longer but to age healthily, slowing down the onset of age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and arthritis.—University of Oxford
University of OxfordThe survey … also found 57 per cent say they have made changes to cook more healthily …—Michael Barker
Michael BarkerSynonyms
Examples of healthy in a Sentence
Adjective
The company is financially healthy.
always a hard worker, Grandma has remained healthy into her 80s
Recent Examples on the WebMichael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
It’s not totally understood why about a third of healthy people respond in this way, but research suggests that genetics and abnormal kidney reactions to salt can be to blame.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 23 Oct. 2024
Caitlin Gibson, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023
Even with Johnson back healthy this year, Auburn chose to address the center position in the transfer portal, bringing in the top available center on the market in Jones, who spent the last three seasons at Eastern Carolina.
—Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 26 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for healthy 
Adjective
Despite a substantial slide in entering freshmen, overall college enrollment increased a healthy 2.9% this fall, according to preliminary figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
It’s not totally understood why about a third of healthy people respond in this way, but research suggests that genetics and abnormal kidney reactions to salt can be to blame.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 23 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Keeping her family healthy felt unequivocal, until Harrison was suddenly worried about the consequences of those choices.
—Caitlin Gibson, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023
Even with Johnson back healthy this year, Auburn chose to address the center position in the transfer portal, bringing in the top available center on the market in Jones, who spent the last three seasons at Eastern Carolina.
—Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 26 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for healthy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'healthy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Healthy vs. Healthful
Why both words are equally good for you.
Dictionary Entries Near healthy
Cite this Entry
“Healthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/healthy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
healthy
adjective
healthier; healthiest
1
a
: being in good health : well
b
: indicating good health
healthy complexion
3
a
: enjoying vigorous and rapid growth
a healthy economy
b
: not small or feeble : considerable
a healthy crowd in attendance
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