WELL (best, better, better)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does well mean? 

• WELL (noun)
  The noun WELL has 5 senses:

1. a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine

2. a cavity or vessel used to contain liquid

3. an abundant source

4. an open shaft through the floors of a building (as for a stairway)

5. an enclosed compartment in a ship or plane for holding something as e.g. fish or a plane's landing gear or for protecting something as e.g. a ship's pumps

  Familiarity information: WELL used as a noun is common.

• WELL (adjective)
  The adjective WELL has 3 senses:

1. in good health especially after having suffered illness or injury

2. resulting favorably

3. wise or advantageous and hence advisable

  Familiarity information: WELL used as an adjective is uncommon.

• WELL (verb)
  The verb WELL has 1 sense:

1. come up, as of a liquid

  Familiarity information: WELL used as a verb is very rare.

• WELL (adverb)
  The adverb WELL has 13 senses:

1. (often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard ('good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for 'well')

2. thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining form

3. indicating high probability; in all likelihood

4. (used for emphasis or as an intensifier) entirely or fully

5. to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree

6. favorably; with approval

7. to a great extent or degree

8. with great or especially intimate knowledge

9. with prudence or propriety

10. with skill or in a pleasing manner

11. in a manner affording benefit or advantage

12. in financial comfort

13. without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor

  Familiarity information: WELL used as an adverb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WELL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("well" is a kind of...):

excavation (a hole in the ground made by excavating)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "well"):

artesian well (a well drilled through impermeable strata into strata that receive water from a higher altitude so there is pressure to force the water to flow upward)

driven well; tube well (a well made by driving a tube into the earth to a stratum that bears water)

gas well (a well that yields or has yielded natural gas)

oil well; oiler (a well that yields or has yielded oil)

sump (a well or other hole in which water has collected)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A cavity or vessel used to contain liquid

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("well" is a kind of...):

vessel (an object used as a container (especially for liquids))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "well"):

inkstand; inkwell (a small well holding writing ink into which a pen can be dipped)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An abundant source

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

fountainhead; well; wellspring

Context example:

she was a well of information

Hypernyms ("well" is a kind of...):

source (a document (or organization) from which information is obtained)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An open shaft through the floors of a building (as for a stairway)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("well" is a kind of...):

shaft (a vertical passageway through a building (as for an elevator))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "well"):

stairwell (a vertical well around which there is a stairway)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An enclosed compartment in a ship or plane for holding something as e.g. fish or a plane's landing gear or for protecting something as e.g. a ship's pumps

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("well" is a kind of...):

compartment (a partitioned section, chamber, or separate room within a larger enclosed area)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "well"):

bilge well ((nautical) a well where seepage drains to be pumped away)

pump well (an enclosure in the middle of a ship's hold that protects the ship's pumps)

• WELL (adjective)

Declension: comparative and superlative

Sense 1

Meaning:

In good health especially after having suffered illness or injury

Context example:

I think I'm well; at least I feel well

Similar:

asymptomatic; symptomless (having no symptoms of illness or disease)

cured; healed; recovered (freed from illness or injury)

Also:

fit (physically and mentally sound or healthy)

healthy (having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease)

Antonym:

ill (affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function)

Derivation:

wellness (a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Resulting favorably

Synonyms:

good; well

Context example:

all's well that ends well

Similar:

fortunate (having unexpected good fortune)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Wise or advantageous and hence advisable

Context example:

it would be well to start early

Similar:

advisable (worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise)

• WELL (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Come up, as of a liquid

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

swell; well

Context example:

the currents well up

Hypernyms (to "well" is one way to...):

come up; rise; rise up; surface (come to the surface)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

• WELL (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard ('good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for 'well')

Synonyms:

good; well

Context example:

the baby can walk pretty good

Domain usage:

combining form (a bound form used only in compounds)

Antonym:

ill (('ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining form

Context example:

well-educated

Sense 3

Meaning:

Indicating high probability; in all likelihood

Synonyms:

easily; well

Context example:

he could equally well be trying to deceive us

Sense 4

Meaning:

(used for emphasis or as an intensifier) entirely or fully

Context example:

suspected only too well what might be going on

Domain usage:

intensifier; intensive (a modifier that has little meaning except to intensify the meaning it modifies)

Sense 5

Meaning:

To a suitable or appropriate extent or degree

Context example:

his father was well pleased with his grades

Sense 6

Meaning:

Favorably; with approval

Context example:

he thought well of the book

Antonym:

ill (unfavorably or with disapproval)

Sense 7

Meaning:

To a great extent or degree

Synonyms:

considerably; substantially; well

Context example:

the price went up substantially

Sense 8

Meaning:

With great or especially intimate knowledge

Synonyms:

intimately; well

Context example:

we knew them well

Sense 9

Meaning:

With prudence or propriety

Context example:

could not well refuse

Sense 10

Meaning:

With skill or in a pleasing manner

Context example:

he writes well

Antonym:

badly (without skill or in a displeasing manner)

Sense 11

Meaning:

In a manner affording benefit or advantage

Synonyms:

advantageously; well

Context example:

The children were settled advantageously in Seattle

Antonym:

badly (in a disadvantageous way; to someone's disadvantage)

Sense 12

Meaning:

In financial comfort

Synonyms:

comfortably; well

Context example:

she has been able to live comfortably since her husband died

Sense 13

Meaning:

Without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor

Context example:

took the tragic news well

Antonym:

badly (with unusual distress or resentment or regret or emotional display)

 Context examples 

Well, Sir, anything that had adventure and danger in it.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Nor did he have much better luck with the other three books.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Well, life has been pleasant; I liked it; yes, sir, I used to like it.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Well, I will; but mind you are a very good girl, and don't be afraid of me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Well, dearies, how have you got on today?

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“The better for thee,” the other answered.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Men of their hands have thought well of my brains, and men of brains of my hands, and that is the best that I can say of myself.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She, on her part, promised to marry me as soon as I could earn enough money to build a better house for her; so I set to work harder than ever.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

"I cannot possibly do without Anne," was Mary's reasoning; and Elizabeth's reply was, "Then I am sure Anne had better stay, for nobody will want her in Bath."

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

“I am no novel-reader—I seldom look into novels—Do not imagine that I often read novels—It is really very well for a novel.”

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)