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adv., adj. compar. bet•ter, superl. best, adv.
we'll(wil; unstressed wɪl)
Wella source of supply.
Good is never an adverb. If you want to say that something is done to a high standard or to a great extent, you use well, not 'good'.
The comparative form of well is better. The superlative form is best.
In conversation, people sometimes say well when they are about to make a statement. Well can show that someone is hesitating or uncertain, but sometimes it has no meaning at all.
In conversation, people also use well when they are correcting something they have just said.
Well is very commonly an adverb.
You use well to say that something is done to a high standard or to a great extent.
You use well to emphasize some -ed participles when they are part of a passive construction.
When well is used with an -ed participle like this to make a compound adjective that comes before a noun, the compound usually has a hyphen.
When the compound adjective comes after a verb, don't use a hyphen.
You also use well in front of some prepositions such as ahead of and behind.
When well is an adverb, its comparative and superlative forms are better and best.
Well is also an adjective. If you are well, you are healthy and not ill.
Most British speakers do not use well in front of a noun. They don't say, for example, 'He's a well man'. They say 'He's well'. However, American and Scottish speakers sometimes use well in front of a noun.
When well is an adjective, it does not have a comparative form. However, you can use better to say that the health of a sick person has improved. When better is used like this, it means 'less ill'.
Better is more commonly used to say that someone has completely recovered from an illness or injury.
You use as well when you are giving more information about something.
Past participle: welled
|Noun||1.||well - a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine|
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
excavation - a hole in the ground made by excavating
gas well - a well that yields or has yielded natural gas
sump - a well or other hole in which water has collected
|2.||well - a cavity or vessel used to contain liquid|
vessel - an object used as a container (especially for liquids)
|3.||well - an abundant source; "she was a well of information"|
source - a document (or organization) from which information is obtained; "the reporter had two sources for the story"
|4.||well - an open shaft through the floors of a building (as for a stairway)|
shaft - a vertical passageway through a building (as for an elevator)
stairwell - a vertical well around which there is a stairway
|5.||well - 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|
bilge well - (nautical) a well where seepage drains to be pumped away
compartment - a partitioned section, chamber, or separate room within a larger enclosed area
pump well - an enclosure in the middle of a ship's hold that protects the ship's pumps
|Verb||1.||well - come up, as of a liquid; "Tears well in her eyes"; "the currents well up"|
|Adj.||1.||well - in good health especially after having suffered illness or injury; "appears to be entirely well"; "the wound is nearly well"; "a well man"; "I think I'm well; at least I feel well"|
fit - physically and mentally sound or healthy; "felt relaxed and fit after their holiday"; "keeps fit with diet and exercise"
healthy - having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease; "a rosy healthy baby"; "staying fit and healthy"
|2.||well - resulting favorably; "it's a good thing that I wasn't there"; "it is good that you stayed"; "it is well that no one saw you"; "all's well that ends well"|
fortunate - having unexpected good fortune; "other, less fortunate, children died"; "a fortunate choice"
|3.||well - wise or advantageous and hence advisable; "it would be well to start early"|
advisable - worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise; "such action is neither necessary nor advisable"; "extreme caution is advisable"; "it is advisable to telephone first"
|Adv.||1.||well - (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"; "a task well done"; "the party went well"; "he slept well"; "a well-argued thesis"; "a well-seasoned dish"; "a well-planned party"; "the baby can walk pretty good"|
combining form - a bound form used only in compounds; "`hemato-' is a combining form in words like `hematology'"
ill, poorly, badly - (`ill' is often used as a combining form) in a poor or improper or unsatisfactory manner; not well; "he was ill prepared"; "it ill befits a man to betray old friends"; "the car runs badly"; "he performed badly on the exam"; "the team played poorly"; "ill-fitting clothes"; "an ill-conceived plan"
|2.||well - thoroughly or completely; fully; often used as a combining form; "The problem is well understood"; "she was well informed"; "shake well before using"; "in order to avoid food poisoning be sure the meat is well cooked"; "well-done beef", "well-satisfied customers"; "well-educated"|
|3.||well - indicating high probability; in all likelihood; "I might well do it"; "a mistake that could easily have ended in disaster"; "you may well need your umbrella"; "he could equally well be trying to deceive us"|
|4.||well - (used for emphasis or as an intensifier) entirely or fully; "a book well worth reading"; "was well aware of the difficulties ahead"; "suspected only too well what might be going on"|
|5.||well - to a suitable or appropriate extent or degree; "the project was well underway"; "the fetus has well developed organs"; "his father was well pleased with his grades"|
|6.||well - favorably; with approval; "their neighbors spoke well of them"; "he thought well of the book"|
|7.||well - to a great extent or degree; "I'm afraid the film was well over budget"; "painting the room white made it seem considerably (or substantially) larger"; "the house has fallen considerably in value"; "the price went up substantially"|
|8.||well - with great or especially intimate knowledge; "we knew them well"|
|9.||well - with prudence or propriety; "You would do well to say nothing more"; "could not well refuse"|
|10.||well - with skill or in a pleasing manner; "she dances well"; "he writes well"|
badly - without skill or in a displeasing manner; "she writes badly"; "I think he paints very badly"
|11.||well - in a manner affording benefit or advantage; "she married well"; "The children were settled advantageously in Seattle"|
|12.||well - in financial comfort; "They live well"; "she has been able to live comfortably since her husband died"|
|13.||well - without unusual distress or resentment; with good humor; "took the joke well"; "took the tragic news well"|
badly - with unusual distress or resentment or regret or emotional display; "they took their defeat badly"; "took her father's death badly"; "conducted himself very badly at the time of the earthquake"
skilfully badly, incompetently, incorrectly, ineptly, sloppily, inexpertly, ham-fistedly, unskilfully
satisfactorily badly, wrongly, poorly, inadequately
intimately somewhat, slightly, vaguely
favourably unfavourably, coldly, unkindly, disapprovingly, unsympathetically, gracelessly
decently unfairly, unjustly, unsuitably
healthy poorly, ill, sick, weak, run-down, ailing, frail, feeble, sickly, unwell, below par, infirm, under-the-weather, at death's door, green about the gills, crook (Austral. & N.Z. informal)
satisfactory wrong, unsuccessful, unsatisfactory, going badly
advisable inadvisable, unfitting, improper
well2 [wel] (better (compar) (best (superl)))
I remember it well → lo recuerdo bien
I know the place well → conozco bien el lugar
(and) well I know it! → ¡(y) bien que lo sé!
to eat/live well → comer/vivir bien
he sings as well as she does → canta tan bien como ella
as well as he could → lo mejor que pudo
to do well at school → sacar buenas notas en el colegio
to do well in an exam → sacar buena nota en un examen
the patient is doing well → el paciente evoluciona bien
you would do well to think seriously about our offer → le convendría considerar seriamente nuestra oferta
you did well to come at once → hizo bien en venir enseguida
well done! → ¡bien hecho!
to go well → ir bien
everything is going well → todo va bien
well and good → muy bien
well played! (Sport) → ¡bien hecho!
to speak well of sb → hablar bien de algn
to think well of sb → tener una buena opinión de algn
he is well thought of here → aquí se le estima mucho
it was well deserved → estuvo bien merecido
he's well away (= drunk) → está borracho perdido
to be well in with sb → llevarse muy bien con algn
it continued well into 1996 → siguió hasta bien entrado 1996
he is well over or past fifty → tiene cincuenta y muchos años
well over a thousand → muchos más de mil, los mil bien pasados
it's well past ten o'clock → son las diez y mucho
she knows you too well to think that → te conoce demasiado bien para pensar eso de ti
she loved him too well → lo quería demasiado
as we know all or only too well → como sabemos perfectamente
well and truly (esp Brit) → de verdad, realmente
we got well and truly wet → nos mojamos de verdad
to wish sb well → desear todo lo mejor a algn
it was well worth the trouble → realmente valió la pena
it may well be that → es muy posible que + subjun
they may well be lying → es muy posible que mientan
we may as well begin now → ya podemos empezar, ¿no?
you might as well tell me the truth → más valdría decirme la verdad
"shall I go?" - "you may or might as well" → "¿voy?" - "por qué no"
we might (just) as well have stayed at home → para lo que hemos hecho, nos podíamos haber quedado en casa
she cried, as well she might → lloró, y con razón
you may well ask! → ¡buena pregunta!
I couldn't very well leave → me resultaba imposible marcharme
as well (= in addition) → también
I'll take those as well → me llevo esos también
and it rained as well! → ¡y además llovió!
by night as well as by day → tanto de noche como de día
as well as his dog he has two rabbits → además de un perro tiene dos conejos
I had Paul with me as well as Lucy → Paul estaba conmigo, así como Lucy or además de Lucy
could you manage to eat mine as well as yours? → ¿podrías comerte el mío y el tuyo?
all sorts of people, rich as well as poor → gente de toda clase, tanto rica como pobre
I'm very well thank you → estoy muy bien, gracias
I hope you're well → espero que te encuentres bien
are you well? → ¿qué tal estás?
she's not been well lately → recientemente ha estado algo indispuesta
to get well → mejorarse
get well soon! → ¡que te mejores!
that's all very well, but → todo eso está muy bien, pero ...
it or we would be well to start early → mejor si salimos temprano
it would be as well to ask → más vale or valdría preguntar
it's as well not to offend her → más te vale no ofenderla
it would be just as well for you to stay → mejor si te quedas
it's well for you that nobody saw you → menos mal que nadie te vio
it's just as well we asked → menos mal que preguntamos
all's well that ends well → bien está lo que bien acaba
well, it was like this → bueno, pues así ocurrió
well, as I was saying → bueno, como iba diciendo
well, that's that! → ¡bueno, asunto concluido!
well then? → ¿y qué?
well, if you're worried, why don't you call her? → pues si estás tan preocupada ¿por qué no la llamas?
well, I think she's a fool → pues yo pienso que es tonta
You did that really well → Tu as très bien fait ça.
to do well → bien s'en sortir
She's doing really well at school → Elle s'en sort vraiment bien à l'école.
He did as well as he could
BUT Il a fait du mieux qu'il pouvait.
to pay well [job] → bien payer
well done! → bravo!
Mix all the ingredients well → Mélangez bien tous les ingrédients.
Wash your hands well with soap → Lavez-vous bien les mains, avec du savon.
How well do you remember your mother, Franzi? → Tu te souviens bien de ta mère, Franzi?
to know sb well → bien connaître qn
How well do you know him? → Vous le connaissez bien?
well done [meat]
BUT bien cuit.(e)
Do you prefer your steak rare, medium or well done? → Vous préférez votre steak saignant, à point ou bien cuit?
to speak well of sb → dire du bien de qn
We worked hard, but we had some fun as well → Nous avons travaillé dur, mais nous nous sommes bien amusés aussi.
as well as → ainsi que
We went to Chartres as well as Paris → Nous sommes allés à Paris ainsi qu'à Chartres.
It has symbolic as well as economic significance
BUT Cela a une signification à la fois symbolique et économique.
The film is well worth seeing → Le film vaut vraiment la peine d'être vu.
well before sth → bien avant qch
well after sth → bien après qch
to be well aware of sth → être bien conscient(e) de qch
You might as well tell me → Tu ferais aussi bien de me le dire.
You may well be right → Vous pourriez bien avoir raison.
It was just as well she wasn't there → C'était aussi bien qu'elle ne soit pas là.
to be well → aller bien
I'm not very well at the moment → Je ne vais pas très bien en ce moment.
to feel well → se sentir bien
I don't feel well → je ne me sens pas bien
get well soon! → remets-toi vite!
Well, as I was saying → Bon, comme je le disais ...
It's enormous! Well, quite big anyway → C'est énorme! Enfin, c'est assez grand.
wellin cpds → gut;
well2 comp <better>, superl <best>
well2 [wɛl] (better (comp) (best (superl)))
very well → benissimo
she plays the flute very well → suona molto bene il flauto
he did as well as he could → ha fatto come meglio poteva
to do well (in sth) → andare bene (in qc)
to be doing well → stare bene
you did well to come → hai fatto bene a venire
he did well to come tenth → anche arrivare decimo è stato per lui un buon risultato
well done! → ben fatto!, bravo/a!
to think well of sb → avere una buona opinione di qn
to be well in with sb → essere in buoni rapporti con qn
to do well by sb → trattare bene qn
it was well worth it → ne valeva certo la pena
you're well out of it → è un bene che tu ne sia uscito
well and truly → completamente
well over a thousand → molto or ben più di mille
all or only too well → anche troppo bene
and well I know it! → è proprio vero!
he's well away (fam) (drunk) → è completamente andato
she cried, as well she might → piangeva a buon diritto
one might well ask why ... → ci si potrebbe ben chiedere perché...
you may well ask! → buona domanda!
you might as well tell me → potresti anche dirmelo
I might or may as well come → quasi quasi vengo
I couldn't very well leave → non potevo andarmene così
get well soon! → guarisci presto!
I don't feel well → non mi sento bene
well, as I was saying ... → dunque, come stavo dicendo...
well, well, well! → ma guarda un po'!
very well then → va bene, molto bene
very well, if that's the way you want it (unenthusiastic) → va bene, se questo è quello che vuoi
well I never! → ma no!, ma non mi dire!
well there you are then! → ecco, hai visto!