well-meaning
Americanadjective
-
meaning or intending well; having good intentions.
a well-meaning but tactless person.
-
Also well-meant proceeding from good intentions.
Her well-meaning words were received in silence.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-meaning
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
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.
“So if I don’t have the control, then there’s nothing really that I can do, other than try to be as truthful and passionate and well-meaning as I possibly can, you know?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Many of them are doing so out of a well-meaning but ill-informed abundance of caution.
From Salon ● May 7, 2026
There is probably one thing worse than sitting for hours waiting for an X-ray or a follow-up appointment, only to be greeted by another well-meaning stand-in who is frustratingly unfamiliar with your file.
From MarketWatch ● May 1, 2026
Mrs. Irani’s advice is well-meaning and even inspirational, but sometimes she devolves into cliché and therapy-speak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
All you decent, well-meaning gentlemen, let me ask you, have you any idea what sort of place the world is becoming all around you?
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
