well-spoken
Americanadjective
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speaking well, fittingly, or pleasingly.
The new chairwoman was very well-spoken.
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polite in speech.
a well-spoken gentleman.
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spoken in an apt, fitting, or pleasing manner.
a few well-spoken words on civic pride.
adjective
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having a clear, articulate, and socially acceptable accent and way of speaking
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spoken satisfactorily or pleasingly
Etymology
Origin of well-spoken
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was well spoken and polite, so his bosses soon began sending him on the most important jobs.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
"She was scruffy - which was unusual in those days, terribly well spoken and laid back, well-off and rebellious," Mrs Currie told BBC's Talkback programme.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2024
Popular, handsome and well spoken, he quickly became a leading figure among Moscow reformers, and he was seen as a future prime minister or even a successor to Mr. Gorbachev.
From New York Times • Aug. 20, 2022
"He was just a gentle soul, you know, very polite, very well spoken," said Jerry Healy, who first met Randele at a Woburn, Massachusetts, dealership where they talked daily for years.
From Fox News • Dec. 29, 2021
“The boy seems pleasant and well spoken, but...”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
