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
Ben Savage as Cory Matthews As the titular boy in Boy Meets World, Savage played the spunky, baseball-loving Cory, a well-meaning kid who sometimes found himself in sticky situations.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 14 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
Ben Savage as Cory Matthews As the titular boy in Boy Meets World, Savage played the spunky, baseball-loving Cory, a well-meaning kid who sometimes found himself in sticky situations.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 14 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 3 Nov. 2025.
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