to a fare-thee-well

Idioms

To the most extreme degree, especially a condition of perfection. For example, We've cleaned the house to a fare-thee-well, or He played the part of martyr to a fare-thee-well. This term first appeared as to a fare-you-well in the late 1800s, and the more archaic-sounding present form replaced it about 1940.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The former is a lovely sentiment, and the latter is disrespectful of their clear boundaries and guilt-trippy to a fare-thee-well, and awareness can make all the difference.

From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2023

“Quite frankly, I don’t blame him. At this point, he screwed up Friday to a fare-thee-well, from pen to post, he did that wrong in every way possible,” Stirewalt said.

From Fox News • Feb. 5, 2019

Since it is not his money but BP’s, why should he care so much that everything be documented to a fare-thee-well?

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2010

In 500 years, fantasy California-style has been refined and marketed to a fare-thee-well, so much so that tourism is the second-biggest moneymaker in both places.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 1990

I know perfectly well that you’ve got this place bugged to a fare-thee-well.

From Unwise Child by Garrett, Randall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023