healthy

health‧y S3 W3 /ˈhelθi/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative healthier, superlative healthiest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑health, ↑healthiness; adverb: ↑healthily ≠ ↑unhealthily; adjective: ↑healthy ≠ ↑unhealthy]
1. PERSON/ANIMAL/PLANT physically strong and not likely to become ill or weak:
a healthy baby boy
I’ve always been perfectly healthy until now.
2. GOOD FOR YOUR BODY good for your body:
a healthy lifestyle
a healthy diet
the importance of healthy eating
3. SHOWING GOOD HEALTH showing that you are healthy:
Her face had a healthy glow.
All of our kids have healthy appetites (=they like to eat a lot).
4. BEHAVIOUR/ATTITUDE used to describe an attitude, feeling, or behaviour that is natural, normal, and sensible:
I don’t think it’s healthy for her to spend so much time alone.
healthy respect/disrespect/scepticism etc
a healthy disrespect for silly regulations
5. COMPANY/RELATIONSHIP ETC a healthy company, society, relationship, ↑economy etc is working effectively and successfully:
a healthy economy with a well-trained workforce
6. AMOUNT large and showing that someone is successful – used about amounts of money:
a healthy profit
a healthy bank balance
—healthily adverb
—healthiness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ healthy having good health: A good diet keeps you healthy. | They tested the drug on healthy volunteers.
▪ well used especially when describing or asking about how someone feels or looks: I don’t feel well. | How was James – did he look well?
▪ fine spoken used in a reply to a question about your health, or when talking about someone else’s health. Use fine only in replies, not in questions or statements: ‘Hi, Tom, how are you?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’ | She had a bad cold, but she’s fine now.
▪ all right/OK spoken not ill or injured. These expressions are very commonly used in everyday spoken English: You look pale – are you feeling all right? | He’s had an accident but he’s OK.
▪ better less ill than you were, or no longer ill: I’m feeling a lot better now. | Don’t come back to school until you’re better.
▪ fit healthy, especially because you exercise regularly: She keeps fit by cycling everywhere. | Police officers have to be physically fit and have good eyesight.
▪ in (good) shape healthy and fit: Jogging keeps me in pretty good shape.
▪ robust literary healthy and strong, and not likely to become ill: He had a robust constitution (=a strong and healthy body). | robust plants | a robust girl, wearing a thick woollen sweater
▪ be/look a picture of health to look very healthy: She looked a picture of health as she posed for the cameras.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

healthy

healthy [healthy healthier healthiest] [ˈhelθi] [ˈhelθi] adjective (health·ier, healthi·est)
1. having good health and not likely to become ill/sick
• a healthy child/animal/tree
• Keep healthy by eating well and exercising regularly.

Opp: unhealthy

2. usually before noun good for your health
• a healthy diet/climate/lifestyle

Opp: unhealthy

3. usually before noun showing that you are in good health
• to have a healthy appetite

• a shampoo that keeps hair looking healthy

4. normal and sensible
• The child showed a healthy curiosity.
• She has a healthy respect for her rival's talents.
• It's not healthy the way she clings to the past.

Opp: unhealthy

5. successful and working well
• a healthy economy

• Your car doesn't sound very healthy.

6. usually before noun large and showing success
• a healthy bank balance
• a healthy profit
Derived Words: healthily ▪ healthiness
Thesaurus:
healthy adj.
1.
• Keep healthy with good food and exercise.
strong • |especially BrE fit • |especially spoken well • • fine •
Opp: sickly, Opp: unhealthy
feel/look healthy/strong/fit/well/fine
keep (sb) healthy/fit/well
fit and healthy/strong/well
2. usually before noun
• Many people are adopting a healthy lifestyle.
good • • nutritious • • nourishing •
Opp: unhealthy
a healthy/good/nutritious/nourishing meal/diet
healthy/good/nutritious/nourishing food
Synonyms:
well
all right • OK • fine • healthy • strong • fit
These words all describe sb who is not ill and is in good health.
well • [not usually before noun] (rather informal) in good health: ▪ I'm not feeling very well. ◊ ▪ Is he well enough to travel?
Well is used especially to talk about your own health, to ask sb about their health or to make a comment on it.
all right • [not before noun] (rather informal) not feeling ill; not injured: ▪ Are you feeling all right?
OK • [not before noun] (informal) not feeling ill; not injured: ▪ She says she's OK now, and will be back at work tomorrow.
all right or ok?
These words are slightly less positive than the other words in this group. They are both used in spoken English to talk about not actually being ill or injured, rather than being positively in good health. Both are rather informal but OK is slightly more informal than all right.
fine • [not before noun] (not used in negative statements) (rather informal) completely well: ▪ ‘How are you?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’
Fine is used especially to talk about your health, especially when sb asks you how you are. It is also used to talk about sb's health when you are talking to sb else. Unlike well it is not often used to ask sb about their health or make a comment on it: Are you keeping fine?
healthy • in good health and not likely to become ill: ▪ Keep healthy by exercising regularly.
strong • in good health and not suffering from an illness: ▪ After a few weeks she was feeling stronger.
Strong is often used to talk about becoming healthy again after an illness.
fit • (especially BrE) in good physical health, especially because you take regular physical exercise: ▪ I go swimming every day in order to keep fit.
all right/OK/fit for sth
all right/OK/fit to do sth
to feel/look well/all right/OK/fine/healthy/strong/fit
to keep (sb) well/healthy/fit
perfectly well/all right/OK/fine/healthy/fit
physically well/healthy/strong/fit
Example Bank:
• Her good diet had kept her healthy.
• She looked pale, but otherwise healthy.
• The economy is extremely healthy at the moment.
• The rare disorder strikes apparently healthy boys between the ages of five and twelve.
• Their lifestyle is quite healthy.
• We have a very healthy diet.
• Working in the open air has made him very healthy.
• You look disgustingly healthy! How do you manage it?
• a new diet which is considered much healthier than previous ones
• He says he's ill, but he looks perfectly healthy to me.
• Here are ten tips for a healthy heart.
• I feel much healthier since I gave up smoking.
• Keep healthy by eating well and exercising regularly.
• Many people today are adopting a healthy lifestyle.
• More public awareness of healthy eating has made us think more about our diet.
• She gave birth to a healthy boy.

• The condition can affect otherwise healthy adults.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

healthy / ˈhel.θi / adjective (HEALTH)

A2 strong and well:

She's a normal healthy child.

He looks healthy enough.

showing that you are strong and well:

The walk had given her a healthy glow.

a healthy appetite

A2 good for your health:

a healthy diet

a good healthy walk

healthily / -θɪ.li / adverb

Eat healthily (= eat foods that are good for you) and take plenty of exercise.

healthy / ˈhel.θi / adjective (SUCCESSFUL)

C2 successful and strong:

a healthy economy

healthily / -θɪ.li / adverb

Eat healthily (= eat foods that are good for you) and take plenty of exercise.

healthy / ˈhel.θi / adjective (NORMAL)

normal and showing good judgment:

a healthy disrespect for authority

healthily / -θɪ.li / adverb

Eat healthily (= eat foods that are good for you) and take plenty of exercise.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

healthy

[he̱lθi]
♦♦♦
healthier, healthiest
1) ADJ-GRADED Someone who is healthy is well and is not suffering from any illness.
  Most of us need to lead more balanced lives to be healthy and happy...
  She had a normal pregnancy and delivered a healthy child.
  Derived words:
  healthily [he̱lθɪli] ADV-GRADED usu ADV after v What I really want is to live healthily for as long as possible.
2) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n If a feature or quality that you have is healthy, it makes you look well or shows that you are well.
  ...the glow of healthy skin.
  ...young adults with healthy appetites.
3) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n Something that is healthy is good for your health.
  ...a great healthy outdoor pursuit.
  ...a healthy diet.
4) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A healthy organization or system is successful.
  ...an economically healthy socialist state.
5) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A healthy amount of something is a large amount that shows success.
  He predicts a continuation of healthy profits in the current financial year.
  ...a healthy bank account.
  Syn:
  substantial
6) ADJ-GRADED: oft it v-link ADJ to-inf If you have a healthy attitude about something, you show good sense.
  She has a refreshingly healthy attitude to work...
  It's very healthy to be afraid when there's something to be afraid of.
  Derived words:
  healthily ADV ADV adj I had never seen bombing on such a scale, and I was healthily apprehensive.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

healthy

healthy /ˈhɛlɵi/ adj health·i·er; -est [also more ~; most ~]
1 a : having good health : not sick or injured : well
• healthy babies
• tips for staying healthy
b : showing good health
• a healthy complexion
• He has a healthy [=hearty, large] appetite.
2 : good for your health : healthful
• a healthy lifestyle/diet
• healthy living
• Those foods aren't healthy (for you). = It's not healthy (for you) to eat those foods.
3 : doing well : successful or growing
• a healthy economy
• The company is financially healthy.
4 : large in size or amount
• A healthy number of her poems were published in the magazine.
• She has a healthy bank account.
• This line of work requires a healthy dose of self-discipline.
• His business earns a healthy profit.
5 : sensible or natural
• The students have a healthy curiosity about the world.
• a healthy respect for dangerous animals
- health·i·ly /ˈhɛlɵəli/ adv
• living healthily
• healthily active people
- health·i·ness /ˈhɛlɵinəs/ noun [noncount]
- healthy adv informal
• He eats healthy.
• She lives healthy by exercising and eating right.