HEALING Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

healing 1 of 3

noun

as in recovery

the process or period of gradually regaining one's health and strength the long period of healing following the operation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

healing

2 of 3

adjective

as in medicinal

tending to cure disease or restore health the native peoples of South America recognized the healing powers of the dried bark of the cinchona tree, formerly used as a specific in malaria

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

healing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of heal

as in rehabilitating

to restore to a healthy condition a low-fat vegetarian diet, moderate exercise, and stress management help heal a diseased heart heal the sick

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in recovering

to become healthy and strong again after illness or weakness most of the soldiers could go home while they were still healing from their wounds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in curing

to bring about recovery from time heals all wounds, even those of the heart

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of healing

Noun

But underneath what seems promising, the beginnings of empathy and maybe healing, there’s something performative and calculated in this fast bond. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 And even for those who are just ordinarily stressed, being around horses can be calming and restorative — part of a somatic healing approach, which focuses on how the body holds on to emotions. — Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026 For a few days this week, filmmaker Alice Diop has created a space for healing. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The ingredient interacts with adenosine receptors involved in inflammation and tissue repair, which is thought to encourage cell growth and support the skin’s natural healing process. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026 The formula also contains PDRN, thought to send signals that support the skin’s natural healing processes and help prevent collagen degradation. — Jenny Berg, Glamour, 21 Oct. 2026 Fading isn’t always clean either, since tattooed freckles can shift in appearance over time rather than simply disappearing, making proper aftercare during the healing period especially important. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026 Every step of spiritual progress in our lives – every healing proof of God’s ever-present love – is a step away from the belief in mortality and toward the understanding of our true, eternal life as the children of God. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2026 Writing workshops reignited my passion for learning and deepened my commitment to healing. — Paula Grieve, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

Adjective

The compound also acts as a potent antioxidant, neutralizing unstable molecules that build up in non-healing wounds and cause cellular damage. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026 Other symptoms include non-healing or bleeding wounds and feeling or seeing the maggots. — Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 Persistent claudication, non-healing wounds, severe swelling and numbness that doesn’t resolve are all reasons to see a clinician. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026 That becomes this very healing social situation. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025

Verb

The Holistic Touch treatment uses Ayurvedic techniques to rebalance the body’s energy, including healing poultices and marma-point stimulation. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Recognizing this divine reality even a little, brings tangible, healing comfort to anyone who opens up their heart to it. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026 Carson draws parallels between the familial traumas of those who remain and the broader societal wounds of a province still healing from decades of sectarian violence. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Rodriguez explains that, in many ways, the aftermath of the hurricane sparked arguments on both sides that were necessary to begin healing the tension. — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Her path crosses with that of Inocência, an enslaved Black woman who possesses healing knowledge, knows the land, and devises her own strategies of resistance. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 The record was just a year of me healing myself through making music. — Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2026 There was a case in recent years where school staff noticed a student from a faith-healing family having up to 13 seizures a day, which ultimately led to a doctor going to court to say the girl needed emergency medical attention. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for healing

Noun

New government pursues asset recovery Before the election, Magyar promised to bring those responsible for past abuses to justice and to recover public assets misused under Orbán.

— Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
While firefighters were searching for the Trotters’ children, a senior disaster recovery official named Jeremy Klass sent a message asking if horses needed evacuation.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of recovery

Adjective

Research suggests mussels also contain unique compounds that may offer medicinal benefits, including wound healing, as well as antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects.

— Joy Emeh, HEALTH, 19 Oct. 2026
Stones, Soddu explains, have a very long history of being associated with energetic, medicinal, protective, and symbolic properties.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of medicinal

Verb

The nonprofit provides lifelong care for aging, retired, rescued, and rehabilitating horses, while also offering volunteer opportunities and summer camps to teach kids about horse care.

— Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
City staff are proposing a second bond of the same size to pay for building, preserving and rehabilitating more apartments, single-family homes and shelters.

— Madison Iszler, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of rehabilitating

Verb

Tank Dell had one reception for 43 yards and returned a punt for 14 yards in his return after missing almost two years recovering from a gruesome knee injury.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Hardy has spent the season recovering from a gunshot wound in his left leg.

— PJ Green October 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of recovering

Verb

The couple created the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization whose efforts include curing, managing and preventing all diseases.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
After this initial cure, continue curing for six to eight weeks in a cooler location (about 55 to 60 degrees).

— Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of curing

Noun

Lula defended rehabilitation but said serious offenders should not qualify, then questioned whether Bolsonaro would pardon his father.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
The recommendation was rehabilitation over surgery, and within a few weeks a follow-up MRI indicated Simmons continued to progress and the disk had improved.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of rehabilitation

Adjective

Spending time with Juni and a cast of new friends at the stables was physically and emotionally therapeutic for Hanawalt, particularly as new issues began to sneak up on her.

— Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Further testing would need to examine venom neutralization, safety, stability, and therapeutic effectiveness before clinical development could be considered.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of therapeutic

Verb

Frustration is also growing over what is seen as Haitian authorities’ reluctance to get their house in order, from tackling corruption to fixing its judiciary.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Security patches for the PHP programming language, widely used to build websites and web apps, have rolled out today, with the goal of fixing two critical vulnerabilities that could wreak havoc on the internet if left unchecked.

— Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of fixing

Browse Nearby Words

healed

healing

heals

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Healing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/healing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of healing

noun

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes