Hale
adj.resilient, energeticliterary
What it means
Strong, healthy, and vigorous, especially despite age or hardship.
Reach for it when praising robust condition when the slightly old-fashioned tone fits
At eighty-seven, Arun remained hale enough to tend the steep orchard.
Choose between these
6- playful
fit as a fiddle
affectionate idiom suits informal celebration of health
not when The cliché can trivialize disability or a complex medical condition.
- everyday
sound health should be stated in familiar language
not when Healthy is broader and lacks hale's emphasis on visible vigor.
- everyday
solid health and energetic appetite suit friendly praise
not when Hearty can describe food or enthusiasm and may be ambiguous.
- warm
energy and active strength are the most visible qualities
not when Vigorous activity can occur despite poor health and says less about overall condition.
- professional
strong functioning under ordinary demands is evident
not when Robust can describe systems and may sound clinical when praising an older person.
- formal
sound
stable underlying condition matters more than liveliness
not when Sound feels technical and can understate an energetic presence.
Said against
3- frail
- infirm
- sickly
It naturally appears in
3- hale and hearty
She arrived hale and hearty after the long sea journey.
- remarkably hale
The remarkably hale gardener still carries his own tools.
- remain hale
Regular company and useful work helped him remain hale.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English adjective sense: free from infirmity and robust in health opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.