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.

WELL definition: 1. in a good way, to a high or satisfactory standard: 2. very much, to a great degree, or…. Learn more.

1. In a satisfactory condition; right or proper: All is well. 2. a. Not ailing, infirm, or diseased; healthy. See Synonyms at healthy. b. Cured or healed, as a wound.

WELL definition: a hole drilled or bored into the earth to obtain water, petroleum, natural gas, brine, or sulfur. See examples of well used in a sentence.

a container, receptacle, or reservoir for a liquid: the well of ink in a fountain pen. Building any sunken or deep, enclosed space, as a shaft for air or light, stairs, or an elevator, extending vertically through …

You say well to express your surprise or anger at something that someone has just said or done.

Dec 27, 2025 · well (third-person singular simple present wells, present participle welling, simple past and past participle welled) (intransitive) To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring. …

a — used in phrases like might as well and may as well to say that something should be done or accepted because it cannot be avoided or because there is no good reason not to do it

Definition of well adverb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

When you do something well, you do it in a good or satisfactory way. You can say, "I did really well on my French test," or "Finally, I slept well last night."