good

1 of 3

adjective

ˈgu̇d

better ˈbe-tər

; best ˈbest

Synonyms of good next

a(1)

: of a favorable character or tendency

good news

(2)

: bountiful, fertile

good land

(3)

: handsome, attractive

good looks

b(1)

: suitable, fit

good to eat

(2)

: free from injury or disease

one good arm

(3)

: not depreciated

bad money drives out good

(4)

: commercially sound

a good risk

(5)

: that can be relied on

good for another year

good for a hundred dollars

always good for a laugh

(6)

: profitable, advantageous

made a very good deal

c(1)

: agreeable, pleasant

had a good time

(2)

: salutary, wholesome

good for a cold

(3)

: amusing, clever

a good joke

d(1)

: of a noticeably large size or quantity : considerable

won by a good margin

a good bit of the time

(2)

: full

waited a good hour

(3)

—used as a word that gives force or emphasis to a statement

a good many of us

e(1)

: well-founded, cogent

good reasons

(2)

: true

holds good for society at large

(3)

: deserving of respect : honorable

in good standing

(4)

: legally valid or effectual

good title

f(1)

: adequate, satisfactory

good care

—often used in faint praise

his serve is only good—

Frank Deford

(2)

: conforming to a standard

good English

(3)

: liking only things that are of good quality : choice, discriminating

good taste

(4)

: containing less fat and being less tender than higher grades

—used of meat and especially of beef

g sports

(1)

of a serve or shot : landing in the proper area of the court in tennis and similar games

The serve was good.

(2)

of a shot or kick : successfully done

(basketball) The first foul shot was good but she missed the second one.

(American football) The kick was good from 45 yards.

The kick was no good. [=was missed]

informal : having everything desired or required : content and not wanting or needing to do anything further

"Do you want anything else to drink?" "No thanks, I'm good."

"I have had girlfriends say, 'Hey, you wanna go walking?' And I'm just not interested. I'm like 'Uh, no, I'm good.' But they keep inviting me!"—

Laila Ali

a(1)

: virtuous, right, commendable

a good person

good conduct

(2)

: kind, benevolent

good intentions

: upper-class

a good family

: competent, skillful

a good doctor

d(1)

: loyal

a good party man

a good Catholic

(2)

: close

a good friend

: free from infirmity or sorrow

I feel good

goodish

ˈgu̇-dish

adjective

Good vs. Well: Usage Guide

An old notion that it is wrong to say "I feel good" in reference to health still occasionally appears in print. The origins of this notion are obscure, but they seem to combine someone's idea that good should be reserved to describe virtue and uncertainty about whether an adverb or an adjective should follow feel. Today nearly everyone agrees that both good and well can be predicate adjectives after feel. Both are used to express good health, but good may connote good spirits in addition to good health.

good

2 of 3

noun

: something that is good

b(1)

: something conforming to the moral order of the universe

(2)

: praiseworthy character : goodness

: a good element or portion

: advancement of prosperity or well-being

the good of the community

it's for your own good

: something useful or beneficial

it's no good trying

: something that has economic utility or satisfies an economic want

goods ˈgu̇dz

plural : personal property having intrinsic value but usually excluding money, securities, and negotiable instruments

goods plural : cloth

goods plural : something manufactured or produced for sale : wares, merchandise

canned goods

goods plural, British : freight

: good persons

—used with the

goods plural

: the qualities required to achieve an end

: proof of wrongdoing

didn't have the goods on him—

T. G. Cooke

good

3 of 3

adverb

: well

he showed me how good I was doing—

Herbert Gold

—used as an intensive

a good long time

Good vs. Well: Usage Guide

Adverbial good has been under attack from the schoolroom since the 19th century. Insistence on well rather than good has resulted in a split in connotation: well is standard, neutral, and colorless, while good is emotionally charged and emphatic. This makes good the adverb of choice in sports.

"I'm seeing the ball real good" is what you hear —

Roger Angell

In such contexts as

listen up. And listen good —

Alex Karras

lets fly with his tomatoes before they can flee. He gets Clarence good —

Charles Dickinson

good cannot be adequately replaced by well. Adverbial good is primarily a spoken form; in writing it occurs in reported and fictional speech and in generally familiar or informal contexts.

Phrases

as good as

: in effect : virtually

as good as dead

as good as gold

: of the highest worth or reliability

his promise is as good as gold

: well-behaved

the child was as good as gold

good and \ ˌgu̇d-ᵊn

: very, entirely

was good and mad

for good or less commonly for good and all

: forever, permanently

She's gone for good.

in good with

: in a favored position with

to the good

: for the best : beneficial

efforts to restrict credit were all to the good—

Time

: in a position of net gain or profit

wound up $10 to the good

Examples of good in a Sentence

Adjective You'll need better tools for this job. The car is in good condition. There are some good restaurants in this neighborhood. I'm afraid your work is just not good enough. Keep up the good work. “Would you hire her again?” “Yes, I would. She does good work.” The food was good but not great. He has done good but not outstanding work. Did you have a good time at the party? We're expecting good weather for the weekend. Noun the battle of good versus evil Teachers can be a strong force for good. the difference between good and bad They had to sacrifice lesser goods for greater ones. What is life's highest good? Parents must teach their children the difference between the good and the bad. She believes that the good go to heaven when they die and the bad go to hell. Only the good die young. She believes there is some good in everyone. Adverb Things have been going good lately. The team is doing good this year. “How did you hit the ball today?” “Good.” The other team whipped us good. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

My dogs are trained really well, good temperaments. —

Stepheny Price, Fox News, 16 Nov. 2023 Many of the patients, mostly competitive or recreational athletes, also reported good knee stability and function, and were able to return to their sport a year later. —

Katie Camero, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023 Mattel, the toy company that owns huge franchises like Hot Wheels and Barbie, is facing a new lawsuit brought by UCLA and its health system, claiming the company failed to make good on a pledge to donate $50 million to the university's children's hospital. —

Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 Nov. 2023 Think about some of the most iconic moments in modern TV history, and there’s a good chance Don Mischer was in the control room. —

Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023 But instead of playing off the tragedy to raise its profile, Parmalee — which includes guitarist Josh McSwain — did its best to avoid the topic. —

Tom Roland, Billboard, 15 Nov. 2023 One of the title’s best, absolutely absurd sequences involves Mario chasing Peach—who’s strapped to the back of her captor, a bearded weirdo named Booster—uphill, dodging barrels and minions as she’s rushed off to a chapel to get married against her will. —

WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023 Experts recommend adopting heart-healthy habits from a young age, to best support biomarkers that impact biological age and quality of life. —

Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 15 Nov. 2023 Cat in Alaska reunited with owners 26 days after home collapsed into river More Caitlin O'Kane Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. —

Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2023

Noun

Authorities said the duo used the storage facility as a distribution center for the massive amounts of knock-off designer goods. —

Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 16 Nov. 2023 The consumer price index—which measures a wide basket of goods and services prices—rose 4.6% on year, falling from 6.7% in September, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Wednesday. —

Ed Frankl, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2023 The wholesale price of goods fell 1.4% from September to October, pulled down by a 15.3% drop in the price of gasoline. —

Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023 Behavioral science research suggests that these actually improve happiness more than physical goods. —

Mallika Mitra, wsj.com, 14 Nov. 2023 Watkins scored 13 of the Trojans’ first 15 points in the fourth and then sat down for good. —

Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Chinese goods pressed down American prices 0.19 percent a year from 2004 to 2015, another study found. —

Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Best Perfume Gift Sets for Her (and Just About Everyone On Your List) The gift of smelling good is always appreciated. —

Condé Nast, Allure, 13 Nov. 2023 The Bureau of Economic Analysis notes that the bulk of recent spending came from outlays on durable goods, things like cars and household appliances. —

Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Adverb

Ethics and dangers are obvious concerns, but it shouldn’t be overlooked that AI has the potential to do profound good beyond pithy conversation with some chatbot. —

Steven Aquino, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Josh has been able to swing back and forth pretty good which helps his value. —

Andrew Gillis, cleveland, 9 Aug. 2023 On its own or in a cocktail, the fact is that smoky single malts taste pretty good in hot weather. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 30 July 2023 Our work is paying off, with nearly 13,000 good-paying jobs secured. —

Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2023 There will be some weak performing companies that will bid good-bye to their CEOs while others will close their doors. —

Walter Loeb, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023 That’s the message that Caroline’s aunt reportedly tweeted, saying good-bye to her niece, according to the online version of the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California. —

Cnn Staff, CNN, 14 Dec. 2022 The Phillies are moving on, and will open the NL Division Series Tuesday against Atlanta, the defending World Series champions, while saying good-bye to the Cardinals’ icons. —

Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 9 Oct. 2022 Deadline reports that longtime cast members Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney will also be saying good-bye after the May 21 finale. —

Vulture, 20 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'good.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Adverb

Middle English, from Old English gōd; akin to Old High German guot good, Middle High German gatern to unite, Sanskrit gadhya what one clings to

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of good was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing good

Articles Related to good

Gucci

Fancy, very fashionable; great, excellent

Can You 'Feel Good'?

We certainly hope so.

Adjectives that Look Like Nouns

There is a ruthless efficiency in the editing of dictionaries

Cite this Entry

Style

“Good.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

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Kids Definition

good

1 of 3 adjective

ˈgu̇d

better ˈbet-ər

; best ˈbest

: of a favorable character or tendency

good news

: fertile sense 1

good land

: handsome sense 3, attractive

good looks

: agreeable sense 1, pleasant

a good place to live

: suitable sense 1, fit

good to eat

a remedy good for a cold

: reliable

a good friend in a pinch

: sound entry 1 sense 1a

one good arm

: certain to last or live

good for another year

: certain to provide or produce

always good for a laugh

: of a noticeably large size or quantity

present in good numbers

: full entry 1 sense 2a

waited a good hour

: based on sound reasoning, information, judgment, or grounds

good reasons

: true entry 1 sense 2

holds good for society as a whole

: deserving of respect or honor

a member in good standing

: legally valid

has a good title

: adequate sense 1, satisfactory

good care

: conforming to a standard

good English

: showing or favoring high quality

good taste

: virtuous, just

a good person

: right entry 1 sense 2

good conduct

: kind entry 2 sense 1, benevolent

good intentions

: being of the upper class

of good family

: skillful sense 1

a good doctor

: loyal sense 2

a good party member

goodness noun

good

2 of 3 noun

: something good, useful, or desirable

health and prosperity are goods

: benefit entry 1 sense 1a, welfare

the good of the community

plural : cloth sense 1

plural : manufactured articles or products of art or craft

: good persons

—used with the

plural : proof of wrongdoing

got the goods on them

good

3 of 3 adverb

: well entry 3 sense 1

Legal Definition

good

1 of 2 adjective

better; best

: commercially sound or reliable

a good risk

: valid or effectual under the law

: free of defects

: characterized by honesty and fairness

: conforming to a standard of virtue

shall hold their offices during good behavior—

U.S. Constitution art. III

also : characterized by or relating to good behavior

good

2 of 2 noun

: advancement of prosperity and well-being

for the good of the community

: an item of tangible movable personal property having value but usually excluding money, securities, and negotiable instruments

—usually used in pl. : as

plural : all things under section 2-103 of the Uniform Commercial Code that are movable at the time of identification to the contract for sale other than information, the money that is to be paid, investment securities, the subject matter of foreign exchange transactions, and choses in action

plural : all things under section 9-102 of the Uniform Commercial Code that are movable at the time that a security interest in them attaches or that are fixtures but excluding money, documents, instruments, accounts, chattel paper, general intangibles, commercial tort claims, deposit accounts, investment property, letter-of-credit rights, letters of credit, and minerals or the like before extraction

— consumer goods

: goods purchased primarily for personal, family, or household uses

— durable goods

: consumer goods that last and are used for a number of years : durables

— fungible goods

: goods of which any unit is by nature or by usage of trade the equivalent of any other like unit especially as defined by section 1-201 of the Uniform Commercial Code

— future goods

: goods that are the subject of a contract but are not yet existing or specified

— hard goods

: durable goods in this entry

— household goods

: goods used in connection with the home

specifically : furniture, furnishings, and personal effects used in a dwelling as defined by section 7-209 of the Uniform Commercial Code

— mobile goods

: goods as formerly defined in section 9-103 of the Uniform Commercial Code that are mobile, are of a type (as vehicles) usually used in more than one jurisdiction, are not covered by a certificate of title, and are either the equipment of a debtor or inventory leased by a debtor

— ordinary goods

: goods as formerly defined by section 9-103 of the Uniform Commercial Code that are anything other than those covered by a certificate of title, mobile goods, or minerals

— producer goods

: goods (as tools and raw materials) used to produce other goods and satisfy human wants only indirectly

— soft goods

: consumer goods that are not durable goods

Last Updated: 18 Nov 2023 - Updated example sentences

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