healthily

IPA/ˈhelθɪli/
IPA/ˈhelθɪli/

healthily — adverb

1. so that a person, animal, plant, or body part seems well, strong, and full of li

1.adverbB1
Definition

so that a person, animal, plant, or body part seems well, strong, and full of life.

Example

After a wet spring, the tomato plants grew healthily in Mei's backyard.

grow healthily — natural growth showing strong condition

The baby gained weight healthily during his first month back at home.

Common collocations
  • grow healthily
  • develop healthily
  • heal healthily
  • age healthily
Synonyms
  • well

    the everyday choice; broader and less focused on physical development

  • strongly

    can describe solid growth or recovery, but it does not always imply good health

Antonyms
  • poorly

    suggests weak growth, recovery, or condition

  • weakly

    focuses on lack of strength rather than health itself

Grammar Patterns

grow / develop / heal healthily

healthily + past participle of recovery

Usage Note

Most often used when a child, animal, plant, or recovering body part is developing in a strong condition. Distinguish from sense 2, where the adverb describes a choice or habit that is good for health.

2. using habits or choices that help the body stay well and lower the risk of illne

2.adverbB1
Definition

using habits or choices that help the body stay well and lower the risk of illness.

Example

Christopher started eating healthily after the nurse explained his test results.

eat healthily — lifestyle pattern for diet choices

At college, Dewi learned to cook healthily on a small budget.

cook healthily — method that keeps meals better for you

Common collocations
  • eat healthily
  • live healthily
  • cook healthily
  • work healthily
Synonyms
  • sensibly

    broader; can mean making good choices for reasons other than health

  • nutritiously

    mainly about the food's nutritional value, not the whole lifestyle

Antonyms
  • unhealthily

    in a way that harms the body or supports bad habits

  • poorly

    general opposite for eating or living badly, though less exact

Grammar Patterns

eat / live / cook healthily

healthily + enough / more

Usage Note

This is the main healthy-lifestyle sense. It most often follows verbs such as 'eat', 'live', 'cook', and 'work out', rather than describing how someone looks.

Common Mistakes

The doctor told us to eat healthy.
The doctor told us to eat healthily.
after a verb, the adverb form is more precise, especially in formal writing.

3. with calm, balanced judgment instead of in an extreme or foolish way.

3.adverbB2
Definition

with calm, balanced judgment instead of in an extreme or foolish way.

Example

Ravindra remained healthily skeptical when the salesman promised instant results.

healthily skeptical — balanced doubt, not blind distrust

Parents should be healthily cautious about apps that collect children's photos.

be healthily cautious — sensible care without panic

Common collocations
  • healthily skeptical
  • healthily cautious
  • healthily critical
  • healthily ambitious
Synonyms
  • sensibly

    the plain everyday word for acting with good judgment

  • wisely

    slightly stronger, suggesting especially good judgment

  • level-headedly

    more explicit about staying calm under pressure

Antonyms
  • rashly

    without enough thought or care

  • blindly

    without reasonable doubt or balance

Grammar Patterns

be healthily + adjective

remain / stay healthily + adjective

Usage Note

Usually placed before an adjective such as 'skeptical', 'cautious', 'critical', or 'ambitious'. The point is measured judgment, not physical wellness.

Common Mistakes

The board was healthily of the plan.
The board was healthily skeptical of the plan.
this sense normally needs an adjective after 'healthily'.

4. in a strong and successful way, especially when numbers, profits, or supplies st

4.adverbB2
Definition

in a strong and successful way, especially when numbers, profits, or supplies stay comfortably high.

Example

Ticket sales grew healthily after the museum added weekend classes.

grew healthily — steady rise in numbers or income

The store's winter coats were selling healthily by the second cold week.

selling healthily — products moving at a strong rate

Common collocations
  • sales grew healthily
  • sell healthily
  • remain healthily above
  • come in healthily
Synonyms
  • strongly

    general business word for good performance or growth

  • solidly

    suggests stable strength rather than rapid movement

  • well

    broader and less tied to figures or measurable results

Antonyms
  • weakly

    with poor demand, sales, or growth

  • poorly

    broad opposite for performance that is not going well

Grammar Patterns

grow / sell / rise healthily

remain healthily above [level]

Usage Note

Commonest in business and news writing. It usually modifies figures, sales, demand, or other measures that are rising or holding at a solid level.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

For food and lifestyle choices, healthily is the clearest word when the point is doing something in a way that supports your body. Well is much broader: you can eat well, sleep well, or manage money well, so it often loses the health focus. Sensibly stresses practical judgment, which may include health but can also mean saving time or money. Nutritiously is narrower still, mostly used for the food itself and its value for the body. Compare: 'The children are eating healthily this month.' 'The children are eating well at camp.' 'We packed a sensible lunch for the long drive.' 'The hospital cooks nutritiously for recovering patients.'

healthily ↗well ↗sensibly ↗nutritiously

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Healthily is formed from healthy and the adverb ending -ly. Healthy comes from the same Old English family as health and goes back to hāl, a word about being whole, sound, and unharmed. The adverb first described people, animals, and plants that were in good condition, and later spread to lifestyle uses such as eating healthily and figurative patterns such as being healthily skeptical.