hale
hale Lexical Profile
hale Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Strong, healthy, and free from disease or infirmity (especially of an elderly person).
"At eighty-five, my grandfather remained remarkably hale and active, tending his large vegetable garden every morning."
• verb
To drag, pull, or compel someone to go forcibly (especially before a court or judge).
"The company was haled into federal court to answer allegations of widespread contract fraud."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse with its homophone 'hail' (meaning frozen rain or to greet enthusiastically). As an adjective, 'hale' is most frequently used in the fixed idiomatic pairing 'hale and hearty', typically describing older adults in vigorous health.
• Rhymes for hale
Word Origin & Etymology
The adjective derives from Old English 'hāl' (meaning whole, uninjured, or healthy), preserved in northern dialects while southern Middle English evolved into the modern word 'whole'. The verb is an unrelated homograph borrowed from Old French 'haler' (to pull or haul), of Germanic origin.