well-intentioned

Also found in: Thesaurus.

Related to well-intentioned: well-meant

well-in·ten·tioned

(wĕl′ĭn-tĕn′shənd)

adj.

Marked by or having good intentions: a well-intentioned but clumsy waiter; well-intentioned criticism.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

well-intentioned

adj (well intentioned when postpositive)

having or indicating benevolent intentions, usually with unfortunate results

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

well′-inten′tioned

adj.

well-meaning.

[1590–1600]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.

well-intentioned - marked by good intentions though often producing unfortunate results; "a well-intentioned but clumsy waiter"; "a well-meaning but tactless fellow"; "the son's well-meaning efforts threw a singular chill upon the father's admirers"- S.W.Maughm; "blunt but well-meant criticism"

well-meant, well-meaning

intended - resulting from one's intentions; "your intended trip abroad"; "an intended insult"

Translations

well-intentioned

[ˌwelɪnˈtenʃnd] ADJ [person] → con buenas intenciones; [act] → bienintencionado; [lie] → piadoso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

well-intentioned

[ˌwɛlɪnˈtɛnʃ/ənd] adj → benintenzionato/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

Some well-intentioned, but rather obstinate persons, could not at first comprehend how, if the moon displays invariably the same face to the earth during her revolution, she can describe one turn round herself.

View in context

Some well-intentioned men in this State, deriving their notions from the language and forms which obtain in our courts, have been induced to consider it as an implied supersedure of the trial by jury, in favor of the civil-law mode of trial, which prevails in our courts of admiralty, probate, and chancery.

View in context

I suspected at first that she was desirous of throwing cold water on this growing intimacy - to quench, as it were, the kindling flame of our friendship - but discovering, at length, in spite of her prejudice against me, that I was perfectly harmless, and even well-intentioned, and that, between myself and my dog, her son derived a great deal of pleasure from the acquaintance that he would not otherwise have known, she ceased to object, and even welcomed my coming with a smile.

View in context

'To all the decent, well-intentioned, honest, selfless, disciplined, hardworking, capable, humble and perceptive candidates - GOOD LUCK!' Lacson wrote on Twitter Saturday.

To undeserving bets, I hope you lose - Lacson

Dan McConchie (26th Senate District) at a neighborhood "meet and greet." After hearing his opening statements and responding to the first several questions, he came across as thoughtful, well-intentioned and reasonable.

Climate leadership lacking in Springfield

Trump should reaffirm core Bush-Congress commitments to Israel and shelve his long-overdue ultimate deal indefinitely - due to the changed circumstances that have demonstrably arisen since his well-intentioned thought bubble in November 2016.

It will be a miracle if Trump's peace plan sees the light of day

With Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri's self-imposed 10-day deadline to form a government upon us, it seems even the most well-intentioned wishes are doomed to remain elusive as long as other parties refuse to play ball.

Stopgap measures

In 2017 we have seen tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even democratic, well-intentioned leaders of parties and countries who are normal human beings The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby The winds of war are blowing in our world and an outdated model of development continues to produce human, societal and environmental decline The Pope I'll be dreaming of prosecco but, being pregnant, I'll have the driest Christmas for years Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson A cup of hot chocolate on returning from Midnight Mass Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg on his Christmas "tipple"

They say..

IANS Sushant Singh Rajput says the short film Carbon, backed by Jackky Bhagnani, is a very well-intentioned project.

Sushant praises Jackky Bhagnani's short film Carbon

The exponential increase into Europe, resulting in so many deaths, is entirely due to the unintended consequences of similar half-baked promises by other hapless but well-intentioned politicians.

Encouragement will make crisis worse; LETTERS

Julia Williams, director of West Midlands' property management outfit Premier Places, labelled Government help-to-buy initiatives as "well-intentioned but flawed" moves to get the housing market moving.

Housing stimulus'will damage nation's spending power'

Julia Williams, director of Midland property management specialists Premier Places, is urging Chancellor George Osborne to rethink what she calls a "well-intentioned but flawed" budget pledge of taxpayer-funded subsidies to get the housing market moving.