well

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   (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')

   the children behaved well

2. 2
   adv

   to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree

   the project was well underway

3. 3
   adv

   in financial comfort

   They live well

4. 4
   adv

   in a manner affording benefit or advantage

   They married well.

5. 5
   adv

   to a great extent or degree

   I'm afraid the film was well over budget

6. 6
   adv

   with skill or in a pleasing manner

   They dance very well.

7. 7
   adv

   with prudence or propriety

   You would do well to say nothing more

8. 8
   adv

   with great or especially intimate knowledge

   we knew them well

Etymology

From Middle English welle, from Old English wielle (“well”), from Proto-West Germanic *wallijā, from Proto-Germanic *wallijǭ (“well, swirl, wave”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn; wind; roll”). Cognate with West Frisian wel (“well”), Dutch wel (“well”), German Low German Well (“well”), German Welle (“wave”), Danish væld (“well; spring”), Swedish väl (“well”), Icelandic vella (“boiling; bubbling; eruption”).