well
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /wɛl/
note: Dublin
ipa: /wɛl/
ipa: /wel/
ipa: /wəl/
ipa: [wɫ̩]
ipa: /wiːl/
ipa: /weɪ/
rhymes: -ɛl
homophone: wool (interjection or unstressed, some accents)
Forms: form: better
form: weller
form: best
form: wellest
form: val
form: vell
form: wall
form: weel
form: weil
form: welp
Etymology: From Middle English wel, wal, wol, wele, from Old English wel (“well, abundantly, very, very easily, very much, fully, quite, nearly”), from Proto-Germanic *wela, *wala (“well”, literally “as wished, as desired”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“wish, desire”).
Cognate with Scots wele, weil (“well”), North Frisian wel, weil, wal (“well”), West Frisian wol (“well”), Dutch wel (“well”), Low German wol (“well”), German wohl (“well”), Norwegian and Danish vel (“well”), Swedish väl (“well”), Icelandic vel, val (“well”). Related to will.
Senses: examples: text: I've been sick, but now I'm well.
text: I've always been a healthy, fit woman, but right now I really don't feel very well.
text: Mr. Peng said that the world-famous scientist, Sven Hedin, was kidnapped by troops under General Ma in south Sinkiang, but was released later, and is believed to be safe and well at Akosu.
ref: 1934 July 14, “Sinkiang Chief Predicts Early Suppression of Rebels”, in The China Weekly Review, volume 69, number 7, →OCLC, page 257:
glosses: In good health.
examples: text: “How are you?” — “I'm well, thank you!”
text: Paulina. As she liu'd peerelesse,
So her dead likenesse I doe well beleeue
Excells what euer yet you look'd vpon,
Or hand of Man hath done: therefore I keepe it
Louely, apart. But here it is: prepare
To see the Life as liuely mock'd, as euer
Still Sleepe mock'd Death: behold, and say 'tis well.
ref: c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
glosses: Good, content.
examples: text: In this respect it would be well for you to depart from the standard format and to indicate why you did what you did.
ref: 2014, Tom Mitchell, Assoc. Prof., “Psych 308/309 GUIDE FOR WRITING PROJECT REPORT”, in Academic website, archived from the original on 04 Dec 2014:
text: When executing bone scan protocols, it is well for one to be aware of how key deviations from optimal technique can degrade image quality.
ref: 2004 September 1, Sleiman Y. Naddaf, MD with B. David Collier, MD, Abdelhamid H. Elgazzar, MD, and Magdy M. Khalil, MSc, “Technical Errors in Planar Bone Scanning”, in Kathy S. Thomas, editor, Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, volume 32, number 3, Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging, archived from the original on 23 Apr 2021, page 149:
text: On leaving the operating table it is well to put the patient in a bed previously warmed and supplied with hot cans.
ref: 1897, National Association of Railway Surgeons, Railway surgeon, page 191:
glosses: Prudent; good; well-advised.
examples: text: This wahoo tastes val.
ref: 1984, Peter A. Smith, Fred M. Barritt, Bermewjan Vurds, Island Press:
text: Drunk, like, a gallon of orange mindral. Tasted wel.
ref: 2013 September 5, James Burton, “Burton's Banter: Our rich dialogue — as moreish as a cold burr...”, in The Bermuda Sun, archived from the original on 12 Dec 2022:
qualifier: now chiefly Bermuda
glosses: Good to eat; tasty, delicious.
Derived terms: alive and well
all's well that ends well
full well
get well
oh, well
well and good
well-being