Heal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈhēl/

Meaning & Definition of Heal

Heal (verb)

  1. to make free from injury or disease, to make sound or whole
  2. to make well again, to restore to health
  3. to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome, mend

Heal (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to restore to a healthy condition

    "a low-fat vegetarian diet, moderate exercise, and stress management help heal a diseased heart"

    "heal the sick"

    similar: cure, fix, mend, rehab, rehabilitate, set up
    related: attend (to), care (for), doctor, medicate, minister (to), nurse, physic, treat, fortify, rejuvenate, renew, resuscitate, revitalize, revive, alleviate, relieve, remedy, repair
    near: cripple, damage, disable, harm, hurt, impair, injure, lacerate, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, wound, afflict, ail, debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, lay up, sap, sicken, waste, weaken

  2. to become healthy and strong again after illness or weakness

    "most of the soldiers could go home while they were still healing from their wounds"

    similar: come back, convalesce, gain, mend, pull round (chiefly British), rally, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back
    related: come around, come round, come to, improve, pick up, revive, cheer (up), perk (up), pull through, survive, recruit
    near: ail, collapse, come down, sicken, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen, regress, relapse

  3. to bring about recovery from

    "time heals all wounds, even those of the heart"

    similar: cure, mend, remedy
    related: allay, alleviate, assuage, relieve, palliate, salve, soothe, ease, lighten, moderate, temper, doctor, nurse, medicate, treat, diagnose
    near: aggravate, worsen, misdiagnose, overdiagnose, underdiagnose

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Heal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Heal:

Chiefly British: pull round
cure, fix, mend, rehab, rehabilitate, set up, come back, convalesce, gain, rally, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, remedy

Related Words for Heal

attend (to), care (for), doctor, medicate, minister (to), nurse, physic, treat, fortify, rejuvenate, renew, resuscitate, revitalize, revive, alleviate, relieve, repair, come around, come round, come to, improve, pick up, cheer (up), perk (up), pull through, survive, recruit, allay, assuage, palliate

Near Antonyms of Heal

cripple, damage, disable, harm, hurt, impair, injure, lacerate, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, wound, afflict, ail, debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, lay up, sap, sicken, waste, weaken, collapse, come down, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fade, fail

Word Forms of Heal

Inflections: healed, healing, heals

Origin & Etymology of Heal

Middle English helen, from Old English hǣlan; akin to Old High German heilen to heal, Old English hāl whole whole

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Heal

Words & Phrases Containing Heal

heal the rift/breach, self-heal

Frequently Asked Questions about Heal

What does "Heal" mean?

"Heal" means to make free from injury or disease, to make sound or whole. As a verb, it is defined as: to make free from injury or disease, to make sound or whole. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Heal"?

Other words for "Heal" include cure, fix, mend, rehab, rehabilitate, set up, come back and convalesce. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Heal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Heal"?

There are 53 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Heal". Common alternatives include cure, fix, mend, rehab, rehabilitate, set up, come back, convalesce, gain and pull round.

How do you use "Heal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Heal" in a sentence: "a low-fat vegetarian diet, moderate exercise, and stress management help heal a diseased heart"; "heal the sick"; "most of the soldiers could go home while they were still healing from their wounds".

Is "Heal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Heal" is a verb.

Is "Heal" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Heal" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Heal"?

"Heal" is pronounced /ˈhēl/.

What is the origin of the word "Heal"?

"Heal" comes from Middle English helen, from Old English hǣlan; akin to Old High German heilen to heal, Old English hāl whole whole. First known use: before 12th centuryt.