well-meaning
adjective
well-mean·ing
ˈwel-ˈmē-niŋ 
1
: having good intentions
well-meaning but misguided idealists
2
: based on good intentions
well-meaning advice
Examples of well-meaning in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the well-meaning—an understandable, especially given the historical context—efforts can have an unintentionally shaming effect that might stop a teen from asking for help managing their period.
—
Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, Little Buddha never rises above a well-meaning, simplistic depiction of the roots of a worldwide religion, and the effects have aged even more poorly.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
Even the most well-meaning fans can be fickle and entitled at times, especially when someone else’s emotions are viewed merely as a means of accessing, or escaping, their own.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
In Pynchon’s best works, his bleakness is brightened, in both senses—illuminated and made lighter—by the sweep of his vision and his affection for his fallible, foolhardy, well-meaning, wildly outmatched main characters.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
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Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 20 Oct. 2025
Unfortunately, Little Buddha never rises above a well-meaning, simplistic depiction of the roots of a worldwide religion, and the effects have aged even more poorly.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025
Even the most well-meaning fans can be fickle and entitled at times, especially when someone else’s emotions are viewed merely as a means of accessing, or escaping, their own.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
In Pynchon’s best works, his bleakness is brightened, in both senses—illuminated and made lighter—by the sweep of his vision and his affection for his fallible, foolhardy, well-meaning, wildly outmatched main characters.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for well-meaning
Cite this Entry
“Well-meaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/well-meaning. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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