well adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of well adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

well

adjective
 
 
/wel/
 
/wel/
(comparative better
 
/ˈbetə(r)/
 
/ˈbetər/
, superlative best
 
/best/
 
/best/
)
Idioms
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  1.  
     [not usually before noun] in good health
    • I don't feel very well.
    • Is she well enough to travel?
    • Get well soon! (= for example, on a card)
    • I'm better now, thank you.
    • (informal) He's not a well man.
    Synonyms wellwellall right ▪ OK ▪ fine ▪ healthy ▪ strong ▪ fitThese words all describe somebody who is not ill and is in good health.well [not usually before noun] (rather informal) in good health:
    • I’m not feeling very well.
    • Is he well enough to travel?
    Well is used especially to talk about your own health, to ask somebody about their health or to make a comment on it.    all right [not before noun] (rather informal) not feeling ill; not injured:
    • Are you feeling all right?
    OK [not before noun] (informal) not feeling ill; not injured:
    • She says she’s OK now, and will be back at work tomorrow.
     all right or ok?These words are slightly less positive than the other words in this group. They are both used in spoken English to talk about not actually being ill or injured, rather than being positively in good health. Both are rather informal but OK is slightly more informal than all right.fine [not before noun] (not used in negative statements) (rather informal) completely well:
    • ‘How are you?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’
    Fine is used especially to talk about your health, especially when somebody asks you how you are. It is also used to talk about somebody’s health when you are talking to somebody else. Unlike well it is not often used to ask somebody about their health or make a comment on it: Are you keeping fine?     healthy in good health and not likely to become ill:
    • Keep healthy by exercising regularly.
    strong in good health and not suffering from an illness:
    • After a few weeks she was feeling stronger.
    Strong is often used to talk about becoming healthy again after an illness.    fit (especially British English) in good physical health, especially because you take regular physical exercise:
    • I go swimming every day in order to keep fit.
    Patterns
    • all right/​OK/​fit for something
    • all right/​OK/​fit to do something
    • to feel/​look well/​all right/​OK/​fine/​healthy/​strong/​fit
    • to keep (somebody) well/​healthy/​fit
    • perfectly well/​all right/​OK/​fine/​healthy/​fit
    • physically well/​healthy/​strong/​fit
    Extra Examples
    • I hope you get well soon.
    • She's quite well at the moment.
    • You look very well!
    • ‘How are you?’ ‘Very well, thanks.’
    • I hope you're keeping well.
    • I'm not feeling very well.
    • Wait till you're better before you go back to work.
    • He discovered that his mother was alive and well.
    • I'm not going until I know he's safe and well.
    Topics Health and Fitnessa1
  2. [not before noun] in a good state or position
    • It seems that all is not well at home.
    • All's well that ends well (= used when something has ended happily, even though you thought it might not).
  3. [not before noun] (as) well (to do something) sensible; a good idea
    • It would be just as well to call and say we might be late.
    • (formal) It would be well to start early.
    4. Word Originadjective Old English wel(l), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wel and German wohl; probably also to the modal verb will.
Idioms
alive and well
  1. (of a person) still living and not injured or harmed
    • The missing student was found alive and well in Newcastle.
  2. (of an industry, area of activity, etc.) still popular or successful
    • Singapore's literary scene is alive and well.
    • Contrary to popular belief, the tourism industry is alive and well in this part of the world.
all very well (for somebody) (to do something)
  1. (informal) used to criticize or reject a remark that somebody has made, especially when they were trying to make you feel happier about something
    • It's all very well for you to say it doesn't matter, but I've put a lot of work into this and I want it to be a success.
all well and good
  1. (informal) quite good but not exactly what is wanted
    • That's all well and good, but why didn't he call her to say so?
See well in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee well in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: well

Nearby words

aspiration
noun
 
 
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