hale

hale

From Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day by Merriam-Webster

June 13, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the word 'hale', its meaning, usage, and etymology.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2026 is: hale • \HAIL\  • adjective Someone described as hale is in good and often exceptional health. Hale is commonly used in the phrase "hale and hearty." // Their mother remains hale and hearty in her old age. See the entry > Examples: "Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell star [in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ] as two vivacious all-American showgirls whose friendship is as fast as their attitudes to men are poles apart. Whereas Monroe's Lorelei Lee prizes wealth and devotion in a suitor, Russell's Dorothy Shaw is more inclined towards the hale and hunky ..." — Robbie Collin, The Telegraph (United Kingdom), 2 May 2026 Did you know? English has two hale homographs : the adjective that is frequently paired with hearty to describe those healthy and strong, and the somewhat uncommon verb that has to do with literal or figurative hauling or pulling. (One can hale a boat onto shore, or hale a person into a courtroom with the aid of legal ramifications for resistance.) The verb comes from the Middle English halen (also the root of our word haul ), but the adjective has a bifurcated origin, with two Middle English…

People in this episode

Host: Merriam-Webster

Topics covered

  • health
  • language
  • etymology
  • adjectives
  • film

Keywords

  • hale
  • health
  • adjective
  • etymology
  • Merriam-Webster

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

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