What does healthier mean?
“Healthier” is the comparative form of “healthy,” and it means more healthy: either having a better physical condition than something or someone else, or being more beneficial to physical well-being. Its use naturally establishes a comparison, as in “a healthier diet,” “a healthier lifestyle,” or “the healthier option.” It can describe people, bodily conditions, or choices and practices. The word has a positive, evaluative connotation and is common in both British and American English. Because it is a comparative, “healthiest” is used when a ranking involves several possibilities, while “healthier” is appropriate when two are being contrasted. Although people occasionally say phrases such as “eat healthier,” the standard adverbial form of “healthy” is “healthily.” Overall, “healthier” turns the broad idea of good health into a direct and easily understood comparison.
adjectiveThe comparative form of healthy; more likely to be in good physical condition or to promote physical well-being.
- More healthy, especially in physical condition or in promoting physical well-being.
"The doctor recommended a healthier diet and a daily walk."
"Her new daily routine is healthier, although she misses the convenience of her old one."
"Baking instead of frying can make a meal healthier without changing its flavour."
Whenever “healthier” appears, another state is being measured against it: it is the runner-up of wellness words, while “healthiest” wins the group.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does healthier come from?
The word ultimately comes from Old English hælþ, the ancestor of modern “health,” which is related to Old English hælan, meaning “to heal.” “Healthy” was formed from “health” with the suffix “-y,” while “healthier” applies the standard comparative suffix “-er” to that adjective. The resulting form has followed the regular grammatical pattern of English comparatives.
How healthier is actually used
Used attributively or predicatively in formal and informal contexts. It may also be used informally as an adverb, as in “eat healthier,” although “eat more healthily” is the more explicit form.
Easily confused with healthier
Healthier is the comparative form, used to contrast two people, conditions, or choices; healthiest is the superlative form, used to identify the most healthy member of a group.