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• well-off
  well-off

  adjective

  having sufficient money for comfortable living; well-to-do.
• well off
  well off

  In fortunate circumstances, especially wealthy or prosperous, as in They're quite well off now. This phrase may be a shortening of come well off, that is, “emerge in good circumstances.” [First half of 1600s]

well-off

American  

[wel-awf, -of] / ˈwɛlˈɔf, -ˈɒf /

adjective

1. having sufficient money for comfortable living; well-to-do.

   Synonyms:

   comfortable, affluent, wealthy, prosperous

2. in a satisfactory, favorable, or good position or condition.

   If you have your health, you are well-off.

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well-off British  

adjective

1. in a comfortable or favourable position or state

2. financially well provided for; moderately rich

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well off Idioms  

1. In fortunate circumstances, especially wealthy or prosperous, as in They're quite well off now. This phrase may be a shortening of come well off, that is, “emerge in good circumstances.” [First half of 1600s]

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Etymology

Origin of well-off

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

well-off well off

"Naturally, sanctions affect people's lives. People are being hurt, both those who are financially well-off and those who are financially weak," said realtor Mehdi Yazdian, 55, who urged the authorities to control prices.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

For now, beleaguered Fifa president Gianni Infantino still has some allies in world football, particularly in parts of the world where less well-off football associations have benefited from his presidency.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Niers, the startup entrepreneur, who is 56, says he expects the project will serve “essentially, well-off tech workers.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

They have enviable wealth and careers, except for one who’s relatively less well-off than the rest.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Was it because they were a little less well-off than their classmates?

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

The stock is well off highs of more than $90 reached in 2014.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

McLaren started this season well off the pace they had shown through 2024 and 2025 as they struggled to get on top of the new rules introduced to F1 this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

So far, markets are relatively relaxed, with benchmark Brent crude futures elevated around $90 a barrel but well off their wartime highs, indicating the market isn’t desperate for supplies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Shares are trading at around $14, well off their highs of more than $40 reached in 2017.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

He could see at a glance that they were rowing well off their best pace.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• affluent
• prosperous
• well-to-do