Hale Meaning
/heɪl/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjSound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired.
nounHealth, welfare.
Sentence Examples
"I heard that Tom was dying." "Dying? He's hale and hearty!"
Yes, I am hale and hearty!
CEFR Practice Quiz
Despite his age, the old man was ____ and walked every day.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite his advanced age, the old fisherman was still ____ and hearty, and he went out to sea every single day.
Word Origin & History
From Northern Middle English hal, hale, variants of hole (“healthy; safe; whole”, whence whole), from Old English hāl, from Proto-West Germanic *hail, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole; entire; healthy”). See whole for more.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"His stomach too begins to fail: / Last year we thought him strong and hale; / But now he's quite another thing: / I wish he may hold out till spring!"
— 1731 November (date written; published 1739), Jonathan Swift, “On the Death of Dr. Swift”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume VIII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 126:
""Good morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth Robin, "thou seemest happy this merry morn." / "Ay, that am I," quoth the jolly Butcher, "and why should I not be so? Am I not hale in wind and limb? Have I not the bonniest lass in all Nottinghamshire? And lastly, am I not to be married to her on Thursday next in sweet Locksley Town?""
— 1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:
"Then let them vale a bonet of their proud ſayle, / And of their taunting toies reſt with il hayle."
— c. 1515–1516 (date written; published 1568), John Skelton, “Against Venemous Tongues Enpoysoned with Sclaunder and False Detractions, &c.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC:
"Eftſoones all heedleſſe of his deareſt hale, / Full greedily into the heard he thruſt: / To ſlaughter them, and vvorke their finall bale, / Leaſt that his toyle ſhould of their troups be bruſt."
— 1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “Astrophel. A Pastoral Elegie vpon the Death of the Most Noble and Valorous Knight, Sir Philip Sidney.”, in Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, signature F2, recto:
"For I had beene vilely hurried and haled by those poore men, which had taken the paines to carry me upon their armes a long and wearysome way, and to say truth, they had all beene wearied twice or thrice over, and were faine to shift severall times."
— 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 6, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Despite his age, the old man was ____ and walked every day.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Despite his advanced age, the old fisherman was still ____ and hearty, and he went out to sea every single day.