hale

¹hale

adj \ˈhāl\

Definition of HALE

: free from defect, disease, or infirmity : sound; also : retaining exceptional health and vigor <a hale and hearty old man>

Examples of HALE

1. <still hale and strong at 80, often outdoing his younger golfing buddies>

Origin of HALE

partly from Middle English (northern) hale, from Old English hāl; partly from Middle English hail, from Old Norse heill — more at whole

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HALE

Synonyms: able-bodied, bouncing, fit, healthy, hearty, robust, sound, well, well-conditioned, whole, wholesome

Antonyms: ailing, diseased, ill, sick, unfit, unhealthy, unsound, unwell

Related Words: hard, hardy, iron, lusty, rugged, stalwart, strong, sturdy, tough; ambulatory, nondisabled, uncrippled; active, agile, chipper, lively, sprightful, sprightly, spry, vigorous, vital; blooming, clean-cut, flourishing, flush, prospering, thriving; all right, good, right

Near Antonyms: decrepit, enfeebled, feeble, infirm, run-down, sickened, sickly, weak, weakened, weakly, worn-out; challenged, crippled, debilitated, differently abled, disabled, halt, incapacitated, lame; delicate, fragile, frail; emaciated, gaunt, haggard, malnourished, undernourished; afflicted, troubled; bad, poorly

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See Synonym Discussion at healthy

Rhymes with HALE

ail, ale, bail, bale, Bâle, brail, braille, Braille, dale, fail, flail, frail, Gael, gale, Gale, grail, hail, jail, kale, mail, male, nail, pail, pale, quail, Quayle, rail, sail, sale, scale, shale, snail, stale, swale, tael, tail, taille, tale, trail, vail, vale, veil, wail, wale, whale, Yale