WELL-BEHAVED

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does well-behaved mean? 

• WELL-BEHAVED (adjective)
  The adjective WELL-BEHAVED has 1 sense:

1. (usually of children) someone who behaves in a manner that the speaker believes is correct

  Familiarity information: WELL-BEHAVED used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WELL-BEHAVED (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(usually of children) someone who behaves in a manner that the speaker believes is correct

Synonyms:

well-behaved; well behaved

Context example:

a well-behaved child

Similar:

good (having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified)

 Context examples 

And Mrs. Jennings too, an exceedingly well-behaved woman, though not so elegant as her daughter.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

I like old friends; and Miss Jane Fairfax is a very pretty sort of young lady, a very pretty and a very well-behaved young lady indeed.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

He was a nice well-behaved wolf, that never gave no trouble to talk of.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

No one ever regretted the admittance of Sam Weller, for a more devoted, well-behaved, and jovial member no club could have.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The next bustle brought in Mr. Campbell, the surgeon of the Thrush, a very well-behaved young man, who came to call for his friend, and for whom there was with some contrivance found a chair, and with some hasty washing of the young tea-maker's, a cup and saucer; and after another quarter of an hour of earnest talk between the gentlemen, noise rising upon noise, and bustle upon bustle, men and boys at last all in motion together, the moment came for setting off; everything was ready, William took leave, and all of them were gone; for the three boys, in spite of their mother's entreaty, determined to see their brother and Mr. Campbell to the sally-port; and Mr. Price walked off at the same time to carry back his neighbour's newspaper.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

“Didn't I know it! But how little you think of the rightful umbleness of a person in my station, Master Copperfield! Father and me was both brought up at a foundation school for boys; and mother, she was likewise brought up at a public, sort of charitable, establishment. They taught us all a deal of umbleness—not much else that I know of, from morning to night. We was to be umble to this person, and umble to that; and to pull off our caps here, and to make bows there; and always to know our place, and abase ourselves before our betters. And we had such a lot of betters! Father got the monitor-medal by being umble. So did I. Father got made a sexton by being umble. He had the character, among the gentlefolks, of being such a well-behaved man, that they were determined to bring him in. “Be umble, Uriah,” says father to me, “and you'll get on. It was what was always being dinned into you and me at school; it's what goes down best. Be umble,” says father, “and you'll do!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The animal itself was as peaceful and well-behaved as that father of all picture-wolves—Red Riding Hood's quondam friend, whilst moving her confidence in masquerade.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It was quite out of the benevolence of her heart, that she had asked these young women to her house; merely because she thought they deserved some attention, were harmless, well-behaved girls, and would be pleasant companions; for otherwise we both wished very much to have invited you and Marianne to be with us, while your kind friend there, was attending her daughter.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Aunt March never petted any one; she did not approve of it, but she meant to be kind, for the well-behaved little girl pleased her very much, and Aunt March had a soft place in her old heart for her nephew's children, though she didn't think it proper to confess it.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I went down to see if I could make out any cause for his anger, since he is usually such a well-behaved man, and except his violent fits nothing of the kind had ever occurred.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)