good-hearted

/ɡʊd.hɑː.təd/US/ɡʊd.hɑɹ.təd/

adjective

Kind and well-intentioned.

Meanings

adjectivegood-hearted (comparative more good-hearted or better-hearted, superlative most good-hearted or best-hearted)

comparative more good-hearted · comparative better-hearted · superlative most good-hearted · superlative best-hearted · alternative goodhearted

  1. idiomaticKind and well-intentioned.

    Good-hearted fellows in their way, true to each other, and invariably gentle and courteous to women, is the much-maligned and misunderstood digger.

    1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 192
    3 more examples

    It’s sweet of you to forgive her, Emily dear. You are better-hearted than I am. I’m afraid I could never pardon any one who had made me such a laughing stock.

    1925, L[ucy] M[aud] Montgomery, “A Supreme Moment”, in Emily Climbs, New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, page 130

    ‘My pa is the best-hearted man in all of London,’ Lottie said, spooning pease pudding onto the plates. ‘He’s never turned anyone from the door or walked past a beggar on the streets.’

    2010, Dilly Court, chapter 14, in A Mother’s Secret, London: Arrow Books, Random House, published 2011, →ISBN, page 263

    But Pirates! comes with all the usual Aardman strengths intact, particularly the sense that its characters and creators alike are too good-hearted and sweet to nitpick. The ambition is all in the craft rather than in the storytelling, but it’s hard to say no to the proficiency of that craft, or the mild good cheer behind it.

    2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 28 May 2013

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveshowing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishgode herted
  2. Englishgood-hearted

From Middle English gode herted.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

good-hearted. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/good-hearted

MLA

“good-hearted.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/good-hearted. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “good-hearted,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/good-hearted.

Source: good-hearted on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.