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.
of liquor: used for making mixed drinks when no branded alcohol is specified
also: made with well liquor
a well drink
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.
healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.
a healthy family
sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.
a sound heart
wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.
a face with a wholesome glow
robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.
a lively, robust little boy
hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.
still hale at the age of eighty
well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.
she has never been a well person
Examples of well in a Sentence
Noun
his quirkily dysfunctional family proved to be a bottomless well of inspiration for the novelist
the spot where the spring bubbles up to the surface and forms a deep wellAdverb
“How did everything go?” “It went well, thank you.”
She works well under pressure.
I did surprisingly well on my history test.
The company is doing well.
He has his own business and is doing well for himself.
You got a perfect score! Well done!
She sings and plays the guitar quite well.
The essay is well written.
He doesn't smoke or drink, and he eats well.
She doesn't treat her boyfriend very well. Adjective
The children are well again.
I don't feel very well.
You don't look so well.
I hope you get well soon.
I hope all is well with you and your family. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This is partly because of the increasing complexity and size of fracked wells.—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
Verb
Noticing the tears welling up in my eyes, Chrisple Sikawa, my guide from Usawa mobile camp, offered the salve of logic.—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
Adverb
Eumir Gutierrez, better known as DJ EU, has been rallying the crowd outside the stadium, mixing Bad Bunny’s greatest hits with quintessential Atlanta hip-hop songs.—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
Interjection
The team is survived by, well, almost too many to count.—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
Adjective
This was not the first time Burgess mentioned how well life with their blended family is going.—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 See More
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
Etymology
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
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
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