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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

"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

For now, beleaguered Fifa president Gianni Infantino still has some allies in world football, particularly in parts of the world where less well-off football associations have benefited from his presidency.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

For years, the well-off stretch of northern San Francisco between the Presidio and Pacific Heights has seen little new housing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Mrs. Choi is the queen bee of Autumn’s well-off neighborhood, and her Southern twang is like her designer shoes—something she never forgets to put on before she leaves the house.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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

Sellers, though, won’t be as well off as they could have been just a few weeks ago.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 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

It soon became clear to me that George Myers was not as well off as the Deans, probably because of the size of his family.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• affluent
• prosperous
• well-to-do