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Hearty

adj. joyful, energetic warm

What it means

Meaning 1

Openly warm, enthusiastic, and full of goodwill.

Reach for it when describing a welcome, laugh, or response with generous energy

A hearty welcome met every runner at the village gate.

Meaning 2

Strong, vigorous, and in sound condition.

Reach for it when praising robust health or energetic participation

The eighty-year-old gardener remained hearty and active.

Meaning 3

Substantial, nourishing, and satisfying.

Reach for it when describing food that comfortably fills and sustains

The café serves a hearty bean stew after the winter walk.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom, and by meaning across. Tap a word to see when it fits.
Meaning 1Meaning 2Meaning 3
everyday
  • Hearty (this word)
warm
  • Hearty (this word)
  • warm
professional
formal
literary

Meaning 1: Openly warm, enthusiastic, and full of goodwill.

  • warm

    warm

    Fits when friendly affection matters more than volume or energy

    Careful Warm can be quiet and subtle, whereas hearty is openly vigorous.

  • professional

    enthusiastic

    Fits when strong positive interest is the main quality

    Careful Enthusiastic lacks the generous human welcome suggested by hearty.

Meaning 2: Strong, vigorous, and in sound condition.

  • professional

    robust

    Fits when reliable strength and function should sound objective

    Careful Robust may describe a system or flavor without implying health.

  • formal

    vigorous

    Fits when active physical energy is plainly visible

    Careful Vigorous can be forceful without the wholesome solidity of hearty.

  • literary

    hale

    Fits when especially an older person appears healthy and strong

    Careful Hale is traditional and applies poorly to temporary bursts of energy.

Meaning 3: Substantial, nourishing, and satisfying.

  • everyday

    filling

    Fits when a meal satisfies hunger for a long time

    Careful Filling says nothing about nourishment, flavor, or generous preparation.

  • warm

    nourishing

    Fits when the meal provides valuable sustenance

    Careful A light dish may be nourishing without being hearty.

  • professional

    substantial

    Fits when portion size and material content are notable

    Careful Substantial is neutral and misses the comforting appeal of hearty food.

Opposites 3

Common phrases 3

  • hearty welcome

    The exchange students received a hearty welcome at the station.

  • hale and hearty

    Their oldest ewe remained hale and hearty through another winter.

  • hearty breakfast

    A hearty breakfast prepared the volunteers for the long cleanup.

Word family 1

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: TreeMama, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated