Meanings
- not comparableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see very, well.
She plays very well almost any instrument that you can think of.
1 more example
Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC - idiomaticnot comparableUsed to weaken the effect of certain modal verbs.
It may very well rain this afternoon.
1 more example
I can't very well talk to you and concentrate on sanding this at the same time.
- formalidiomaticIndicating acceptance, often with resignation or acquiescence, of a statement or situation.
A: I don't want to go today.
2 more examples
B: Very well. Let's go tomorrow, then.
"Jeeves, fetch the wine from the cellar." "Very well, sir."
- governmentA standard response by a superior to a report or confirmation.
Conning officer: "Very well."
2 more examples
Conning officer: "Rudder amidships."
Helmsman: "Rudder amidships aye! Rudder now amidships."
Synonyms & antonyms
interjectionSynonym of fair enough.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbquite well
adverban expression of agreement normally occurring at the beginning of a sentence
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Finnish hyvä on, selvä se
- hyvä oninterjection
- selvä seinterjection
German na gut
- na gutinterjection
Japanese よかろう
- よかろう (yokarō)interjection
Māori āe mārika
- āe mārikainterjection
Norwegian javel, da så
- javelinterjection
- da såinterjection
Polish dobrze, świetnie
- dobrzeinterjection
- świetnieinterjection
Russian хорошо́, ла́дно
- хорошо́interjection
- ла́дноinterjection
Spanish muy bien, biensísimo
- muy bieninterjection
- biensísimointerjection
Cite this entry
very well. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/very%20well
“very well.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/very%20well. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “very well,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/very%20well.
Source: very well on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.