adj. 1
Enjoying good health; free from disease or disorder.
a healthy mind in a healthy body
adj. 2
Conducive to health.
A healthy diet can help to maintain proper weight.
adj. 3
Evincing health.
Her face had a healthy glow.
adj. 4
Significant, hefty; beneficial.
a healthy respect for authority

Related words

Word family: healthily healthiness heal healing health
Phrases: healthy user bias healthy worker bias

Choose the right word

Healthy, Wholesome or Healthful?

Healthy is most correctly used to signify possessing or enjoying health or its results; as, a healthy person; a healthy condition. Wholesome food in a healthful climate makes a healthy man.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

normal The patient's pulse and blood pressure are normal.
robust The software is extremely robust and full-featured.
vigorous The vigorous man is engaged in diverse activities.
respectable I know some most respectable people in the town.
tidy We will tidy up our room so that Mom is satisfied.
wholesome Tom is the most wholesome person you'll ever meet.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
healthy		rising
normal		falling
robust		rising
vigorous		falling
respectable		steady
tidy		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: fit¹
4 letters: good¹, well¹, sane¹, hale¹, tidy²
5 letters: whole¹, sound¹, fresh¹, hardy², hefty², lusty², buxom²
6 letters: strong¹, normal², robust², hearty², goodly²
7 letters: sizable³, bracing², goodish
8 letters: vigorous³, sanitary⁴, sizeable³, hygienic, laudable³, salutary⁴
9 letters: wholesome², healthful²
10 letters: nourishing³, salubrious
11 letters: substantial³, intelligent⁴, respectable⁴
12 letters: considerable⁵, invigorating⁵

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (tidy² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: sain
Italiano: sano
Español: sano
Deutsch: gesund