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.
He described the participants as "well-meaning" but "misinformed" about the potential environmental impact.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 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
Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
But it was so like her to try, to make this doomed, grasping, well-meaning effort.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
