well-meaning

American  

[wel-mee-ning] / ˈwɛlˈmi nɪŋ /

Also well-intentioned

adjective

1. meaning or intending well; having good intentions.

   a well-meaning but tactless person.

2. Also well-meant proceeding from good intentions.

   Her well-meaning words were received in silence.

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well-meaning British  

adjective

1. having or indicating good or benevolent intentions, usually with unfortunate results

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Etymology

Origin of well-meaning

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

And so, to me, a lot of friends in the Senate, a lot of well-meaning people, the Senate is aspirationally the world’s greatest deliberative body, and it should be that, but it’s not that.

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

These are bat bridges, and they are a good example of a well-meaning conservation idea gone wrong.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Dramatizing a real-life incident with a tense one-location framework, the movie deploys a horrifying audio recording and the well-meaning efforts of actors.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

All these years, I never considered the possibility that my father—my well-meaning but occasionally whacked-out father—might be walking around with a broken heart, carrying a pain too awful to talk about.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen