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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

A stylish, well-off family braces for the worst when its youngest member is mauled by a dog during a glitzy lawn party.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Since the medium’s earliest days, Madison Avenue assumed that in households well-off enough to afford television sets, daytime audiences were mostly women who influenced household spending.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

But its new plan to grow from about 3,300 stores to 15,000 worldwide depends on a younger generation that’s less well-off and more focused on viral trends, the WSJ’s David Wainer writes today.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"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

So they came under the care of Tom Bombadil for a while, and were well-off.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

The National Hurricane Center is also tracking Tropical Storm Rachel, which recently formed in the eastern Pacific well off Mexico’s southwest coast and could send more swells toward Southern California early next week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Not all retirees are well off, of course.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Shares are currently trading at around $72, well off highs of more than $130 reached last year.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 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

He was handsome, articulate, and clearly well off.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• affluent
• prosperous
• well-to-do