well-meaning

adjective

Definition of well-meaningnext
as in generous

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of well-meaning Still, there are some smart, well-meaning voices of caution who warn Democrats against forgetting their scruples. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 The basic difference between my first draft that sold and my later drafts was that the Cable Guy character became less well-meaning in the third act and the Matthew Broderick character had to fight the Cable Guy harder, intellectually, to get him out of his life. — Simon Bland, IndieWire, 12 June 2026 However, the industry-wide goal of attaining human-like intelligence in AI systems will only make this content harder for people to spot, even with all the well-meaning government legislation in the world. — ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026 Or, the person may worsen the problem with well-meaning but potentially harmful words or actions. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for well-meaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-meaning
  1. generous
  2. kindhearted
  3. kind
  4. altruistic
  5. benevolent
Adjective
  • At the World Cup, there were at least six examples of incorrect or — to be generous — highly dubious interventions that made reasonable on-field decisions worse across the 104 matches.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • In March, at a town hall meeting hosted by the Washington Avenue Business Improvement District, some influential Beach figures sharply questioned whether the zoning benefits would be sufficiently generous to lure developers.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of generous
Adjective
  • The kindhearted himbo defies the outdated displays of masculinity expected from male athletes.
    — Carlos Aguilar, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
  • Etna, a battle-scarred but kindhearted shepherd mix who was plucked from his home on the eve of an unspecified conflict in an unnamed country, has grown weary of war’s brutalities and longs to return to the coastal farm of his puppyhood.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
Definition of kindhearted
Adjective
  • Harris stars in the show as veterinarian and war veteran Everett McKinney – a man with a kind heart and violent capabilities.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • There are similarities between the two cities — hard-working people who can be bristly, but also kind and genuine.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Despite those altruistic goals, from the beginning, the commission faced criticism that the composition and agenda of the body were slanted toward a conservative Christian perspective.
    — Steven K. Green, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • To my father, wellness was not a goal to be optimized, but rather something that came naturally with a curious, family-oriented, and altruistic existence.
    — Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Fortune, 21 June 2026
Definition of altruistic
Adjective
  • Dorothea centers on a Sacramento woman (Davis) who ran a boarding house for the less fortunate in the 1980s, but her seemingly benevolent actions belied her sinister motives.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 July 2026
  • That would be intolerable in any other setting – not because every voter or marcher is admirable, but because constitutional rights are not based on a government employee’s benevolent opinion.
    — George A. Mocsary, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
Definition of benevolent

Browse Nearby Words

well-known
well-meaning
wellness
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Cite this Entry

“Well-meaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-meaning. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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