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

Shares of RH plummeted toward a six-year low Wednesday after the high-end furniture retailer’s latest earnings report and outlook suggested that even very well-off consumers have cut back spending on their homes.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

They came from quite well-off backgrounds, but then they lost everything.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Twelve kilometers from the hotel zone, crossing empty streets with minimal traffic, residents in the well-off neighborhood of Fluvial Vallarta wandered through the parking lot of a Costco wholesaler.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

“Very well-off Americans with high incomes have come to see themselves in the same camp as the very rich, even though their interests align much more with the middle class,” says Boston College’s Madoff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

Hector was from Diepkloof, which was the nice, well-off part of Soweto.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• affluent
• prosperous
• well-to-do