well-meaning

adjective

Definition of well-meaningnext
as in generous

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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
  • She’s matched beat for beat by Melanie Lynskey, no revelation but reliably affecting and emotionally generous as our heroine’s doting, ailing mother.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • With a beam of roughly 42 feet, the cat offers generous living quarters.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of generous
Adjective
  • There are a lot of kindhearted animal lovers in my neighborhood.
    — Nancy Glowinski, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • The kindhearted himbo defies the outdated displays of masculinity expected from male athletes.
    — Carlos Aguilar, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
Definition of kindhearted
Adjective
  • Say the kind thing, ask the real question, and let connection grow through simple effort instead of silent hoping today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In these moments and others, HOTD has sometimes espoused a form of gender essentialism that suggests Rhaenyra and Alicent are both inherently kinder and better than the men around them.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Savonarola is unapologetically altruistic and unflinching in his critique of the Vatican.
    — Charles Lewis III, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of altruistic
Adjective
  • In Chinese mythology, for example, dragons are revered as powerful, benevolent beings associated with rain, rivers, and fertility.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • His single mom, Laura, got by with assistance from the local church and benevolent relatives, including one who bought Warner football cleats.
    — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of benevolent

Browse Nearby Words

well-known
well-meaning
wellness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-meaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-meaning. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on well-meaning

Nglish: Translation of well-meaning for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All