heal

verb

healed; healing; heals

transitive verb

1
a
: to make free from injury or disease : to make sound or whole
heal a wound
b
: to make well again : to restore to health
heal the sick
2
a
: to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome : mend
the troubles … had not been forgotten, but they had been healedWilliam Power
b
: to patch up or correct (a breach or division)
heal a breach between friends
3
: to restore to original purity or integrity
healed of sin

intransitive verb

: to become free from injury or disease : to return to a sound state
The cut has already healed.

Examples of heal in a Sentence

You've got to give the injury time to heal. After the divorce, he needed some time to heal. The ointment will help heal the wound.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mood was like an eternal shiva — the celebration of the South L.A. rapper’s cinematic life is muted, the search for meaning and healing unending. Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025 The legal proceedings have already been harrowing for so many victims, their families and shooting witnesses as well as the broader community of Highland Park, a North Shore suburb of more than 30,000 residents that’s still grappling to heal from that traumatic day. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025 There is no epiphany and no resolution, only a rupture that even the husband’s eloquence can’t heal. Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 Platelets are cell-like fragments that circulate in the blood and help form clots to stop bleeding or help wounds heal. Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heal

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of heal was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heal. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

heal

verb
: to make or become healthy or whole
heal the sick
a cut that heals slowly

Medical Definition

heal

transitive verb
1
: to make sound or whole especially in bodily condition
2
: to cure of disease or disorder
heal injured tissues

intransitive verb

1
: to return to a sound state
the wound heals
2
: to effect a cure
healer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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