Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

well-done

American  
[wel-duhn] / ˈwɛlˈdʌn /

adjective

  1. performed accurately and diligently; executed with skill and efficiency.

  2. (of meat) thoroughly cooked, especially until all redness is gone.


well-done British  

adjective

  1. (of food, esp meat) cooked thoroughly

  2. made or accomplished satisfactorily

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of well-done

Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200

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.

See Examples For:

Sundance picks often rhyme, as was evident in two well-done black comedies about high-school students who put on wildly inappropriate plays.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 29, 2026

I like things well-done, which no one likes to hear, but it’s the reality.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 3, 2025

He mocked Mr. Trump’s taste for well-done hamburgers and his love of cable news.

From New York Times Jan. 10, 2024

“It’s a very well-done study that convincingly shows there is a tonsil-like structure” in the fish, says immunologist and cell biologist Anna Huttenlocher of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn’t connected to the research.

From Science Magazine Oct. 31, 2023

It is the color of well-done pastry, shining like apricot glaze.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com