healing
HEE-lihng
Healing (noun) means the body's process of repairing itself after injury or illness. Example: “Good sleep and plenty of rest will speed up the healing of a broken bone.”
noun
1
The body's process of repairing itself after injury or illness.
"Good sleep and plenty of rest will speed up the healing of a broken bone."
"The cut showed signs of healing after a few days."
"The doctor said the healing process would take about six weeks."
2
The emotional process of recovering from grief, trauma, or a difficult experience.
"Writing in a journal helped him with his healing after his father died."
"Healing from a painful breakup takes time, and everyone moves at their own pace."
"Therapy became an important part of her healing after the accident."
How to use healing
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRecovering physically or emotionally.
Common pairings
healing process
emotional healing
healing crystals
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Word forms
- Plural
- healings
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Good sleep and plenty of rest will speed up the _____ of a broken bone.
Etymology
From Old English hǣling, formed from heal plus -ing.
Related words
Rhymes for healing
sealing
dealing
whaling
dialing
scaling
stealing
exhaling
inhaling
pedaling
annealing
appealing
revealing
See all rhymes for healing →
Frequently asked questions
What does “healing” mean?
The word “healing” means the body's process of repairing itself after injury or illness. In plain terms, recovering physically or emotionally.
How do you pronounce “healing”?
“Healing” is pronounced HEE-lihng (/ˈhiːlɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “healing” in a sentence?
Here is “healing” used in a sentence: “The doctor said the healing process would take about six weeks.”
What part of speech is “healing”?
“Healing” is a noun.
Where does the word “healing” come from?
The word “healing” comes from Old English. From Old English hǣling, formed from heal plus -ing.
Is “healing” a common word?
“Healing” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “healing” have?
“Healing” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the body's process of repairing itself after injury or illness.
What is the difference between healing and curing?
Curing usually means completely eliminating a disease or its cause, while healing refers to the body's or mind's process of repairing and recovering, which may happen even when a full cure is not possible. You can heal from a wound or from grief, but a cure targets a specific illness.
What is the difference between healing and recovery?
Healing is the internal process of repair after injury, illness, or emotional pain, while recovery often describes the broader return to normal health or functioning. Healing can be one part of a longer recovery.
Can healing be emotional as well as physical?
Yes, healing refers both to the body repairing itself after injury or illness and to the emotional process of recovering from grief, trauma, or a difficult experience. The word is widely used in both medical and psychological contexts.
What is the difference between healing and mending?
Both describe repair, but healing is used for living things recovering from injury, illness, or emotional pain, while mending more often describes fixing objects such as clothes. Healing carries a stronger sense of a natural, internal process.
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