well-behaved

/wɛlbɪˈheɪvd//wɛlbəˈheɪvd/

adjective

Having good manners and acting properly; conforming to standards of good behaviour.

“The boy is well-behaved and is seldom naughty.”

Similar
mannersomeseemlywell-manneredwell behavedgood
Opposite
ill-behaveddegeneratepathological
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Meanings

adjectivewell-behaved (comparative better-behaved or more well-behaved, superlative best-behaved or most well-behaved)

comparative better-behaved · comparative more well-behaved · superlative best-behaved · superlative most well-behaved · alternative well behaved

  1. Having good manners and acting properly; conforming to standards of good behaviour.

    The boy is well-behaved and is seldom naughty.

    2 more examples

    How bright were the fire-irons; how clean the Dutch riles round the old-fashioned fire-place, how well-behaved even the cat.

    1842, [Katherine] Thomson, chapter II, in Widows and Widowers. A Romance of Real Life., volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 35

    Remember that well-behaved software always keeps its hands off the computer's hardware.

    1986, InfoWorld, volume 8, number 43, page 69

    Synonyms: mannersome, seemly, well-mannered · Antonyms: ill-behaved

  2. mathematicsHaving intuitive, easy to handle properties, especially: having a finite derivative of all orders at all points, and having no discontinuities.

    Antonyms: degenerate, pathological

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving good manners and acting properly; conforming to standards of good behaviour.

Similar
mannersomeseemlywell-mannered
Opposite
ill-behaved

adjectiveHaving intuitive, easy to handle properties, especially: having a finite derivative of all orders at all points, and having no discontinuities.

Opposite
degeneratepathological

More synonyms by meaning

adjective(usually of children) someone who behaves in a manner that the speaker believes is correct

Similar
well behavedgood
Also see
complaisantcorrectcourteouspolitewell-brought-upwell-mannered

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From well + behaved.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 表現好的 /表现好的, 規矩 /规矩
  • 表現好的 /表现好的 (biǎoxiàn hǎo de)having good manners and acting properly
  • 規矩 /规矩 (guījǔ)having good manners and acting properly
  • 聽話 /听话 (tīnghuà)having good manners and acting properly
  • 乖 (guāi)having good manners and acting properly
  • 良態 /良态mathematics: having easy to handle properties
Danish velopdragen
  • velopdragenhaving good manners and acting properly
Dutch braaf, goedgemanierd
  • braafhaving good manners and acting properly
  • goedgemanierdhaving good manners and acting properly
  • gemanierdhaving good manners and acting properly
  • welgemanierdhaving good manners and acting properly
  • braafmathematics: having easy to handle properties
Finnish hyvätapainen, hyväkäytöksinen
  • hyvätapainenhaving good manners and acting properly
  • hyväkäytöksinenhaving good manners and acting properly
  • hyvin käyttäytyvähaving good manners and acting properly
  • derivoituvamathematics: having easy to handle properties
  • hyvin käyttäytyvämathematics: having easy to handle properties
French bien élevé
  • bien élevéhaving good manners and acting properly
German wohlerzogen, artig
  • wohlerzogenhaving good manners and acting properly
  • artighaving good manners and acting properly
  • bravhaving good manners and acting properly
Hindi शिष्टाचारी
  • शिष्टाचारी (śiṣṭācārī)having good manners and acting properly
Irish suáilceach, dea-bhéasach
  • suáilceachhaving good manners and acting properly
  • dea-bhéasachhaving good manners and acting properly
  • béasachhaving good manners and acting properly
Japanese 行儀のいい
  • 行儀のいい (gyōgi no ii)having good manners and acting properly
Latvian rātns
  • rātnshaving good manners and acting properly
Norwegian veloppdragen
  • veloppdragenhaving good manners and acting properly
Polish dobrze wychowany, prosty
  • dobrze wychowanyhaving good manners and acting properly
  • prostymathematics: having easy to handle properties
Portuguese comportado
  • comportadohaving good manners and acting properly
Romanian manierat, bine crescut
  • manierathaving good manners and acting properly
  • bine crescuthaving good manners and acting properly
  • cumintehaving good manners and acting properly
Russian благонра́вный, воспи́танный
  • благонра́вный (blagonrávnyj)having good manners and acting properly
  • воспи́танный (vospítannyj)having good manners and acting properly
Spanish bien comportado, comportarse bien
  • bien comportadohaving good manners and acting properly
  • comportarse bienhaving good manners and acting properly
Swedish väluppfostrad
  • väluppfostradhaving good manners and acting properly
Turkish uslu
  • usluhaving good manners and acting properly
Vietnamese ngoan
  • ngoanhaving good manners and acting properly
Cite this entry
APA

well-behaved. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-behaved

MLA

“well-behaved.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-behaved. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “well-behaved,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/well-behaved.

Source: well-behaved on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.