Word
hale
US/ˈheɪɫ/
UK/hˈeɪl/
Definitions
01healthy and strong
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adj. strong and healthy, especially when used to describe an older person.
adj. sound and robust in health; typically used in the fixed phrase 'hale and hearty' to describe vigorous elderly individuals.
“Even at eighty years old, my grandfather remained hale and hearty.”
“The explorer was remarkably hale for his age, possessing a physical constitution that put men half his age to shame.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the coordinated phrase 'hale and hearty'.
02to pull forcibly
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Literary
v. to pull or drag someone or something with a lot of force.
v. to haul, pull, or drag something or someone, often with significant effort or against resistance.
“The guards were ordered to hale the prisoner before the king.”
“The angry mob attempted to hale the suspect through the narrow streets toward the magistrate's office.”
Usage
Takes a direct object; often used in legal or historical contexts regarding dragging someone to court.
Antonyms
03health or welfare
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Archaic
n. an old word for health or well-being.
n. a state of health, safety, or general welfare.
“The old songs often wished for the hale and happiness of the village.”
“The ancient documents recorded the king's concern for the hale of his subjects during the long winter months.”
Usage
Uncountable; almost entirely replaced by 'health' in modern English.
Antonyms
Etymology
* As an English surname, Old English dative form of halh (“hollow, nook”). * Also as an English surname, from Old English hæle (“hero”). Compare Hain. * As an Irish surname, from mac céile; see McHale. * As a Jewish surname, variant of Halle.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. hale and hearty
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/hale