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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

Morgan Stanley’s mortgage department exists to provide loans to its wealth-management clients, well-off individuals who are less likely to default in mass numbers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

They have enviable wealth and careers, except for one who’s relatively less well-off than the rest.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

And she underlines the fact that, when it comes to long-term care in the United States, only the relatively well-off have good choices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Disadvantaged pupils in London outperformed those from similar backgrounds in all other regions, the report said, while the gap between well-off and worse-off pupils had grown most in the South-East and South-West of England.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

As well-off citizens closed their businesses and fled the city, they left behind thousands of individuals without any source of income.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Oil prices are well off highs hit during the fiercest fighting last spring thanks to subdued demand from China, Japan, India and Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The dollar fell by 0.2% to 157.07 yen after Trump's comments, well off the 40-year high of 164 last month, but rose back to 157.70 yen after the Japanese finance ministry's statement.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

The commentary proved welcome news for investors in chip stocks, which had fallen well off their peaks in a dramatic July selloff that reflected fears about the sustainability of AI spending.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Freese, who had given up just one goal in his first three starts, came well off his line to beat De Ketelaere to a loose ball, chesting it to the turf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Prior to that, it seems to me, we thought about being well off or not well off in terms of personal comfort or distress.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• affluent
• prosperous
• well-to-do