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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.
Roger Angell
In such contexts as
Alex Karras
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.
Conrad Aiken
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.
Synonyms
Noun
Adverb
- acceptably
- adequately
- all right
- alright
- creditably
- decently
- fine
- good
- middlingly
- nicely
- OK
- okay
- passably
- respectably
- satisfactorily
- serviceably
- so-so
- sufficiently
- tolerably
Interjection
Adjective
Examples of well in a Sentence
Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023
Their analysis showed that about 60% of wells — both agricultural wells and domestic wells — are either not covered or not protected by the plans.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023
The most contaminated wells stayed open for over two more years, according to the ATSDR.
—Anna Schecter, NBC News, 18 Sep. 2023
For every crypto trader motivated by pure greed and acquisitiveness, there is another person who is simply trying to claw his way to financial success, in a society whose impressively resilient aggregate economic statistics mask a deep well of precarity.
—Jacob Bacharach, The New Republic, 18 Sep. 2023
His grandfather grew citrus in the Central Valley and led an irrigation district that dug 39 wells in 1915, developed a new irrigation system, and was the first to use gunite instead of concrete.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
Over the long run, that does not bode well for the health of the planet — and our own well being.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023
Newsom and environmentalists are gearing up for another fight over setbacks around new oil and gas wells.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023
At the time, officials believed it could be related to a well drilled at the site.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2023
Jackie Caradonio, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2023
Anger was welling on the other side of the police barricades.
—Audra D. S. Burch, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
The shaker was dropped, which resulted in his eyes immediately welling up.
—Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 2 Sep. 2023
Bill Clinton worked Dunkin’ Donuts and bowling alleys years before his wife, Hillary Clinton, welled up in a Portsmouth diner.
—James Pindell, BostonGlobe.com, 2 June 2023
As emergency medical workers placed Ms. Oliver on a gurney, Ms. Hernandez’s eyes began to well up.
—Photographs and Additional Reporting By Karen Dias, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2023
Blood welled on the 64-year-old’s fingertip, and the nurse coaxed a droplet into a vial.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2023
There was no toilet, Kerr, now retired, said in a recent interview, pausing often to regain her composure, tears welling in her eyes.
—Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post, 7 June 2023
Just minutes later, at 9:56 p.m., team captain Patrice Bergeron, with tears welling in his eyes, hugged close pal Brad Marchand as the veteran forwards made their way into the tunnel and disappeared down the runway.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 1 May 2023
Daniela Cintron, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2023
Exercising in the morning may help better manage weight, a new study finds.1
Embracing physical activity, like light-to-moderate exercise, can have great benefits for your health.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 30 Sep. 2023
The judge overseeing the Kentucky case then allowed that state’s ban to take effect as well, saying he was bound to follow the 6th Circuit, which hears appeals from both states.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023
Health-conscious Kourtney felt different, arguing that there should be some healthier options available at the party as well.
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023
Sweetens the mix with a hint of molasses flavor and caramel undertones that work well with the sea salt.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2023
First Look: Suits’ Meghan Markle Talks Closet Envy, Beauty Must-Haves, and More
USA Network
Prior to her induction into the royal family, Meghan Markle had primarily been best known for her work as an actor, particularly for her role as plucky paralegal Rachel Zane in Suits.
—Tatler, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2023
The film was directed by cinematographer, screenwriter and director Ellen Kuras, best known for her work on the Oscar-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2023
Studios and streamers are well positioned to secure top locations in Paris thanks to early planning, but smaller French productions will inevitably have to relocate outside of Paris or, worst-case scenario, delay their shoots.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 29 Sep. 2023
Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2023
So every Wednesday, his dad set up a professional sound system in the once-quiet corner of his restaurant with just one mandate — okay, well, two.
—Helena Andrews-Dyer, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
Compared to his American movies — the most recent of which, City Hall, was a deep dive into Boston’s progressive urban agenda — his French ones are altogether more, well, epicurean.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023
Crawford says well water works, but Karen Carducci, a supervisor at the English Gardens in Plymouth, recommends against it.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 1 Sep. 2023
Murray and metaphors went together like … well, Forrest Gump would say peas and carrots.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2023
But the piece can also be seen as a study of, well, seeing.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
Related Story Nero’s Marble and Gold Theater Unearthed in Rome
But even the most bloodthirsty or rulers had to, well, rule.
—Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2023
Matching a deep, booming tone with a dry, subtle sense of humor, the narrator is one of the things that makes Hard Knocks, well, Hard Knocks.
—Evan Romano, Men's Health, 9 Aug. 2023
Daniel S. Levine, Peoplemag, 18 July 2023
In addition to the state-of-the-art tailgating zone, Cindy and her family received some well wishes from former Jets running back Curtis Martin.
—Ally Mauch, PEOPLE.com, 25 Aug. 2020
Grateful for all the well wishes....
—Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 10 Apr. 2023
Thanks to Chris & everyone for the well wishes.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2023
Rumors of behind-the-scenes friction have been circulating since February—in particular regarding the show's star Kevin Costner and Sheridan—and to some, the failure to appear seemed like yet another indicator that all is not well with the ranching drama.
—Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 7 Apr. 2023
Seth Meyers stopped by Studio 8H to offer well wishes.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Apr. 2023
Temple authorities had stopped using the well years ago and covered the mouth with iron grills and tiles.
—Ashok Sharma, ajc, 31 Mar. 2023
With a voice well laid back, or bien tumbada, and an octave deeper than usual, the Inglewood star leaves the past behind her and pushes forward with lyrics that express better days ahead.
—Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'well.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
Middle English welle, wille "spring of water, pool formed by a spring, pit sunk into the earth to reach water," going back to Old English wælle (Anglian), wiell, wielle (West Saxon, later wille, wylle), going back to a Germanic base *waln(j)- (also *walj-?) with varying stem formations (whence also Old Frisian walla "spring, source," Middle Dutch wal, walle "a seething, boiling heat, spring or river of seething water") and with e-grade ablaut Old High German wella "wave, tide," Old Icelandic vella "boiling, bubbling mass," all nominal derivatives from the base of Germanic *walla- "to well up, seethe, bubble" — more at well entry 2
Note: Comparable nominal formations from Indo-European *u̯el(H)- "seethe, bubble" with zero-grade ablaut are Old Church Slavic vlĭna "wave," Russian volná (< *u̯l̥H-neh2), Lithuanian vilnìs "wave" (< *u̯l̥H-ni-), Sanskrit ūrmí- "wave" (< *u̯l̥H-mi-).
Verb
Middle English wellen "to rise to the surface, bubble up, boil, seethe," probably in part verbal derivative of welle "spring of water, well entry 1," in part adaptation of the transitive verb wellen "to boil, curdle, melt (metal), refine," going back to Old English wellan, wyllan (< *wiellan) "to cause to boil," probably going back to Germanic *wall(j)an- (whence also Middle Dutch & Middle High German wellen "to make boil," Old Icelandic vella), causative from *wallan- "to well up, seethe, bubble," Class VII strong verb (whence Old English weallan "to boil, bubble up," Old Frisian walla, Old Saxon wallan "to blaze, boil up, well up," Old High German, "to boil up, well up"), a Germanic verbal base of uncertain origin, seen also with a zero-grade present without gemination in Gothic wulan "to seethe, spread (of an ulcer)"
Note: Both the Middle English Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition (OED), treat the two Middle English verbs wellen as simply the same verb; compare, however, J. de Vries (Nederlands Etymologisch Woordenboek), who treats Dutch wellen "to bubble up" (opborrelen) and wellen "to make boil, hammer white-hot metal together" (doen koken, gloeiende metalen aaneenhameren) in separate articles. The OED asserts that there is a range of dialect attestation of the verb (wællan, wellan, willan, wyllan), apparently on the basis of the few forms given in the citations (the imperatives wel, wyl and wæl in recipes): "In Old English the verb shows the expected reflex of the i-mutation of early Old English æ (West Germanic a) before ll, depending on dialect." But if this statement is based on a reconstruction of the immediate pre-Old English form and inflection of the verb, or its West Germanic predecessor, no such reconstruction is given. The etymology itself merely lists a group of supposed Germanic cognates, summarized by the statement "a causative formation < the same Germanic base as wall v.1 [i.e., Old English weallan]." — In addition to *wallan-, Germanic has an apparent e-grade strong verb *wellan-, seen in Old Saxon and Old High German biwellan "to stain, besmirch," Old Icelandic vella "to well over, boil," and probably Old English wollentēar "with streaming tears." Along with a series of nominal formations outside Germanic based on a zero-grade *u̯l̥H- (see note at well entry 1), the Germanic verbs would lead to an Indo-European base *u̯el(H)- "seethe, bubble." Some have seen this etymon as identical with a homonymous base meaning "to roll" (see welter entry 1), the view of H. Rix, et al. (Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden, 2001). E. Seebold, on the other hand (Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen starken Verben, Mouton, 1970, p. 552) thinks the connection in sense is not so easily explained ("Wie diese Bedeutungsvielfalt zu erklären ist, bleibt unklar"; likewise Kluge-Seebold, 22. Auflage, s.v. wallen). Seebold points to the proximity of form and identical meaning of Lithuanian vérda, vìrti "to boil, seethe," Old Church Slavic vĭrěti.
Adverb
Middle English wel, going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *welō (whence Old Frisian wol, wel, wal "in a good manner," Old Saxon wola, wela, wala, Old High German wola, Old Norse vel, val), from an adjectival derivative of the base of *weljan- "to want" — more at will entry 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Interjection
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing well
Articles Related to well
Dictionary Entries Near well
Cite this Entry
“Well.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/well. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
well
1 of 5 nounwell
2 of 5 verbwell
3 of 5 adverbwell
4 of 5 interjectionwell
5 of 5 adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on well
Nglish: Translation of well for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of well for Arabic Speakers
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