Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Well-intentioned.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Well-intentioned: frequently used with slight contempt.
Wiktionary
- adj. With good intentions, often used to reflect positively on a negative outcome or situation.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Having a good intention.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. not unfriendly or threatening
- adj. marked by good intentions though often producing unfortunate results
Examples
“But what permanently endeared him to many in the city was his reaction a few years ago to a nickname that well-meaning supporters began applying to him: El Hombre.”
The Wall Street Journal: Taking a Swing at Restoring a Legend
“The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”
Simon & Schuster: The Conservative Assault on the Constitution
“In 2008, she says, 3,849 out of 9,000 California schools used ESY, which she regards as part of the "new Food Hysteria" that is promoted by “an agglomeration of foodies and educational reformers who are propelled by a vacuous if well-meaning ideology.””
“A number of well-meaning colleagues said things to me like, "You know, even Faulkner didn't write about black people in the first person.”
A Conversation with Hillary Jordan, author of the debut novel, Mudbound
“And I wonder how appalling the idea of eugenics seems to a great number of honest, well-meaning people today.”
“A great many were honest and well-meaning, and their optimism about the possibilities of science and technology remain very strong with us today.”
“Well, we sent them packing - and I herewith formally apologize to those well-meaning friends who sent them our way thinking that they were doing us a favor.”
Global Voices in English » Global: The push to boycott Shark Week
“Who can help but to fall in love with Quark's well-meaning, clumsy, brilliant brother Rom?”
“Presumably some committee of well-meaning experts sat down and thought this would be a good idea, though at first glance it seems pretty cringe-making.”
“Unfortunately, many people have been (understandably) drawn into the vaccine theory, and this has led many well-meaning people to not vaccinate their kids.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘well-meaning’.
-
well-hyphenated
well-appointed, well-founded, well-being, well-meaning, well-read, well-fixed, well-wordnikked, well-set, well-marked, well-done, well-timed, well-wish and 90 more...
-
meaning
bemean, demean, meaningful, meaningless, meant, intermean, misdemeanor, means, cadmean, meanwhile, permeance, idumean and 59 more...
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.