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Webster 1913 Edition

Good

Good

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Better
;
sup
erl.
Best
. These words, though used as the comparative and superlative of good, are from a different root.]
[AS.
Gōd
, akin to D.
goed
, OS.
gōd
, OHG.
guot
, G.
gut
, Icel.
gōðr
, Sw. & Dan.
god
, Goth.
gōds
; prob. orig., fitting, belonging together, and akin to E.
gather
. √29 Cf.
Gather
.]
1.
Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness; serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable; commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive, or troublesome, etc.
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very
good
.
Gen. i. 31.
Good
company,
good
wine,
good
welcome.
Shakespeare
2.
Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious; religious; – said of persons or actions.
In all things showing thyself a pattern of
good
works.
Tit. ii. 7.
3.
Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite; propitious; friendly; well-disposed; – often followed by to or toward, also formerly by unto.
The men were very
good
unto us.
1 Sam. xxv. 15.
4.
Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be relied upon; – followed especially by for.
All quality that is
good
for anything is founded originally in merit.
Collier.
5.
Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; – followed especially by at.
He . . . is a
good
workman; a very
good
tailor.
Shakespeare
Those are generally
good
at flattering who are
good
for nothing else.
South.
6.
Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious; valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary ability; of unimpaired credit.
My reasons are both
good
and weighty.
Shakespeare
My meaning in saying he is a
good
man is . . . that he is sufficient . . . I think I may take his bond.
Shakespeare
7.
Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest; in good sooth.
Love no man in
good
earnest.
Shakespeare
8.
Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable; esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good degree, a good share or part, etc.
9.
Not lacking or deficient; full; complete.
Good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.
Luke vi. 38.
10.
Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied; as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good repute, etc.
A
good
name is better than precious ointment
Eccl. vii. 1.
.
As good as
.
See under
As
.
–
For good
, or
For good and all
,
completely and finally; fully; truly.

–
Good breeding
,
polite or polished manners, formed by education; a polite education.
–
Good consideration
(Law)
.
(a)
A consideration of blood or of natural love and affection.
Blackstone.
(b)
A valuable consideration, or one which will sustain a contract.
–
Good fellow
,
a person of companionable qualities.
[Familiar]
–
Good folk
,
or Good people
,
fairies; brownies; pixies, etc.
[Colloq. Eng. & Scot.]
–
Good for nothing
.
(a)
Of no value; useless; worthless.
(b)
Used substantively, an idle, worthless person.
–
Good Friday
,
the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches as a fast, in memoory of our Savior’s passion or suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion.
–
Good humor
, or
Good-humor
,
a cheerful or pleasant temper or state of mind.
–
Good humor man
,
a travelling vendor who sells
Good Humor
ice-cream (or some similar ice-cream) from a small refrigerated truck; he usually drives slowly through residential neighborhoods in summertime, loudly playing some distinctive recorded music to announce his presence.
[U. S.]
–
Good nature
, or
Good-nature
,
habitual kindness or mildness of temper or disposition; amiability; state of being in good humor.
The
good nature
and generosity which belonged to his character.
Macaulay.
–
Good people
.
See
Good folk
(above).
–
Good speed
,
good luck; good success; godspeed; – an old form of wishing success. See
Speed
.
–
Good turn
,
an act of kidness; a favor.
–
Good will
.
(a)
Benevolence; well wishing; kindly feeling.
(b)
(Law)
The custom of any trade or business; the tendency or inclination of persons, old customers and others, to resort to an established place of business; the advantage accruing from tendency or inclination.
–
In good time
.
(a)
Promptly; punctually; opportunely; not too soon nor too late.
(b)
(Mus.)
Correctly; in proper time.
–
To hold good
,
to remain true or valid; to be operative; to remain in force or effect; as, his promise holds good; the condition still holds good.
–
To make good
,
to fulfill; to establish; to maintain; to supply (a defect or deficiency); to indemmify; to prove or verify (an accusation); to prove to be blameless; to clear; to vindicate.
Each word
made good
and true.
Shakespeare
Of no power
to make
his wishes
good
.
Shakespeare
I . . . would by combat
make
her
good
.
Shakespeare
–
To think good
,
to approve; to be pleased or satisfied with; to consider expedient or proper.
If ye
think good
, give me my price; and if not, forbear.
Zech. xi. 12.
☞ Good, in the sense of wishing well, is much used in greeting and leave-taking; as, good day, good night, good evening, good morning, etc.

Good

,
Noun.
1.
That which possesses desirable qualities, promotes success, welfare, or happiness, is serviceable, fit, excellent, kind, benevolent, etc.; – opposed to evil.
There be many that say, Who will show us any
good
?
Ps. iv. 6.
2.
Advancement of interest or happiness; welfare; prosperity; advantage; benefit; – opposed to harm, etc.
The
good
of the whole community can be promoted only by advancing the
good
of each of the members composing it.
Jay.
3.
pl.
Wares; commodities; chattels; – formerly used in the singular in a collective sense. In law, a comprehensive name for almost all personal property as distinguished from land or real property.
Wharton.
He hath made us spend much
good
.
Chaucer.
Thy lands and
goods

Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate
Unto the state of Venice.
Shakespeare
Dress goods
,
Dry goods
, etc.
See in the Vocabulary.
–
Goods engine
,
a freight locomotive.
[Eng.]
–
Goods train
,
a freight train.
[Eng.]
–
Goods wagon
,
a freight car
[Eng.]
See the Note under
Car
,
Noun.
, 2.

Good

,
adv.
Well, – especially in the phrase as good, with a following as expressed or implied; equally well with as much advantage or as little harm as possible.
As
good
almost kill a man as kill a good book.
Milton.
As good as
,
in effect; virtually; the same as.
They who counsel ye to such a suppressing, do
as good as
bid ye suppress yourselves.
Milton.

Good

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To make good; to turn to good.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Good

GOOD

,
Adj.
1.
Valid; legally firm; not weak or defective; having strength adequate to its support; as a good title; a good deed; a good claim.
2.
Valid; sound; not weak, false or fallacious; as a good argument.
3.
Complete or sufficiently perfect in its kind; having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use; opposed to bad,imperfect, corrupted, impaired. We say, good timber, good cloth, a good soil, a good color.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and
behold, it was very good. Gen.1.
4.
Having moral qualities best adapted to its design and use, or the qualities which God's law requires; virtuous; pious; religious; applied to persons, and opposed to bad, vitious, wicked, evil.
Yet peradventure for a good man some would
even dare to die. Rom.5.
5.
Conformable to the moral law; virtuous; applied to actions.
In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works.
Tit.2.
6.
Proper; fit; convenient; seasonable; well adapted to the end. It was a good time to commence operations. He arrived in good time.
7.
Convenient; useful; expedient; conducive to happiness.
It is not good that the man should be alone. Gen.2.
8.
Sound; perfect; uncorrupted; undamaged. This fruit will keep good the whole year.
9.
Suitable to the taste or to health; wholesome; salubrious; palatable; not disagreeable or noxious; as fruit good to eat; a tree good for food. Gen.2.
10. Suited to produce a salutary effect; adapted to abate or cure; medicinal; salutary; beneficial; as, fresh vegetables are good for scorbutic diseases.
11. Suited to strengthen or assist the healthful functions; as, a little wine is good for a weak stomach.
12. Pleasant to the taste; as a good apple.
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste. Prov.24.
13. Full; complete.
The protestant subjects of the abbey make up a good third of its people.
14. Useful; valuable; having qualities or a tendency to produce a good effect.
All quality, that is good for any thing,is originally founded on merit.
15. Equal; adequate; competent. His security is good for the amount of the debt; applied to persons able to fulfill contracts.
Antonio is a good man.
16. Favorable; convenient for any purpose; as a good stand for business; a good station for a camp.
17. Convenient; suitable; safe; as a good harbor for ships.
18. Well qualified; able; skillful; or performing duties with skill and fidelity; as a good prince; a good commander; a good officer; a good physician.
19. Ready; dexterous.
Those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else.
20. Kind; benevolent; affectionate; as a good father; good will.
21. Kind; affectionate; faithful; as a good friend.
22. Promotive of happiness; pleasant; agreeable; cheering; gratifying.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Ps.133.
23. Pleasant or prosperous; as, good morrow, Sir; good morning.
24. Honorable; fair; unblemished; unimpeached; as a man of good fame or report.
A good name is better than precious ointment.
Eccles.7.
25. Cheerful; favorable to happiness. Be of good comfort.
26. Great or considerable; not small nor very great; as a good while ago; he is a good way off, or at a good distance; he has a good deal of leisure; I had a good share of the trouble. Here we see the primary sense of extending, advancing.
27. Elegant; polite; as good breeding.
28. Real; serious; not feigned.
Love not in good earnest.
29. Kind; favorable; benevolent; humane.
The men were very good to us. 1 Sam.25.
30. Benevolent; merciful; gracious.
Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are
of a clean heart. Ps.73.
31. Seasonable; commendable; proper.
Why trouble ye the woman, for she hath
wrought a good work on me. Matt.26.
32. Pleasant; cheerful; festive.
We come in a good day. 1 Sam.25.
33. Companionable; social; merry.
It is well known, that Sir Roger had been a good fellow in his youth.
34. Brave; in familiar language. You are a good fellow.
35. In the phrases, the good man, applied to the master of the house,and good woman, applied to the mistress, good sometimes expresses a moderate degree of respect, and sometimes slight contempt. Among the first settlers of New England, it was used as a title instead of Mr.; as Goodman Jones; Goodman Wells.
36. The phrase good will is equivalent to benevolence; but it signifies also an earnest desire, a hearty wish, entire willingness or fervent zeal; as, we entered into the service with a good will; he laid on stripes with a good will.
37. Comely; handsome; well formed; as a good person or shape.
38. Mild; pleasant; expressing benignity or other estimable qualities; as a good countenance.
39. Mild; calm; not irritable or fractious; as a good temper.
40. Kind; friendly; humane; as a good heart or disposition.
Good advice, wise and prudent counsel.
Good heed, great care; due caution.
In good south, in good truth; in reality.
To make good, to perform; to fulfill; as, to make good one's word or promise; that is to make it entire or unbroken.
1.
To confirm or establish; to prove; to verify; as, to make good a charge or accusation.
2.
To supply deficiency; to make up a defect or loss. I will make good what is wanting.
3.
To indemnify; to give an equivalent for damages. If you suffer loss, I will make it good to you.
4.
To maintain; to carry into effect; as, to make good a retreat.
To stand good, to be firm or valid. His word or promise stands good.
To think good, to see good, is to be pleased or satisfied; to think to be expedient.
If ye think good, give me my price. Zech.11.
As good as, equally; no better than; the same as. We say, one is as good as dead. Heb.11.
As good as his word, equaling in fulfillment what was promised; performing to the extent.

GOOD

,
Noun.
That which contributes to diminish or remove pain, or to increase happiness or prosperity; benefit; advantage; opposed to evil or misery. The medicine will do neither good nor harm. It does my heart good to see you so happy.
There are many that say, who will show us any good. Ps.4.
1.
Welfare; prosperity; advancement of interest or happiness. He labored for the good of the state.
The good of the whole community can be promoted only by advancing the good of each of the members composing it.
2.
Spiritual advantage or improvement; as the good of souls.
3.
Earnest; not jest.
The good woman never died after this, till she came to die for good and all.
The phrase, for good and all, signifies, finally; to close the whole business; for the last time.
4.
Moral works; actions which are just and in conformity to the moral law or divine precepts.
Depart from evil, and do good. Ps.34.
5.
Moral qualities; virtue; righteousness.
I find no good in this man.
6.
The best fruits; richness; abundance.
I will give you the good of the land. Gen.45.

GOOD

,
Verb.
T.
To manure. [Not in use.]

GOOD

,
adv.
As good, as well; with equal advantage. Had you not as good go with me? In America we use goods,the Gothic word. Had you not as goods go?
In replies, good signifies well; right; it is satisfactory; I am satisfied. I will be with you to morrow; answer, good, very good. So we use well, from the root of L. valeo, to be strong.

Definition 2024

Good

Good

See also: good and ++good

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Good

  1. A surname​.
  2. An unincorporated community in West Virginia

good

good

See also: Good, ++good, and goods

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

good ‎(comparative better, superlative best)

  1. (of people)
    1. Acting in the interest of good; ethical.
      • 1460-1500, The Towneley Playsː
        It is not good to be alone, to walk here in this worthly wone.
      • 1500?, Evil Tonguesː
        If any man would begin his sins to reny, or any good people that frae vice deed rest ain. What so ever he were that to virtue would apply, But an ill tongue will all overthrow again.
      good intentions‎
    2. Competent or talented.
      a good swimmer‎
      • (Can we date this quote?) Robert South
        Those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else.
      • 1922, Michael Arlen, chapter 3/19/2, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
        Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.
    3. Able to be depended on for the discharge of obligations incurred; of unimpaired credit.
      Can you lend me fifty dollars? You know I'm good for it.‎
    4. Satisfied or at ease
      Would you like a glass of water? — I'm good.‎
      [Are] you good? — Yeah, I'm fine.‎
  2. (of capabilities)
    1. Useful for a particular purpose; functional.
      it’s a good watch;  the flashlight batteries are still good‎
      • 1526, Herballː
        Against cough and scarceness of breath caused of cold take the drink that it hath been sodden in with Liquorice[,] or that the powder hath been sodden in with dry figs[,] for the same the electuary called dyacalamentum is good[,] and it is made thus.
      • 2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
        Plant breeding is always a numbers game. […] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, […]. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.
    2. Effective.
      a good worker‎
      • 1915, Mrs. Belloc Lowndes, The Lodger, chapter II:
        There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.
    3. (obsolete) Real; actual; serious.
      in good sooth‎
  3. (of properties and qualities)
    1. (of food)
      1. Edible; not stale or rotten.
        The bread is still good.‎
      2. Having a particularly pleasant taste.
        The food was very good.‎
        • c. 1430 (reprinted 1888), Thomas Austin, ed., Two Fifteenth-century Cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with Extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55 [Early English Text Society, Original Series; 91], London: N. Trübner & Co. for the Early English Text Society, volume I, OCLC 374760, page 11:
          Soupes dorye. — Take gode almaunde mylke […] caste þher-to Safroun an Salt […]
        • 1962 (quoting 1381 text), Hans Kurath & Sherman M. Kuhn, eds., Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, ISBN 978-0-472-01044-8, page 1242:
          dorrẹ̅, dōrī adj. & n. […] cook. glazed with a yellow substance; pome(s ~, sopes ~. […] 1381 Pegge Cook. Recipes page 114: For to make Soupys dorry. Nym onyons […] Nym wyn […] toste wyte bred and do yt in dischis, and god Almande mylk.
      3. Being satisfying; meeting dietary requirements.
        Eat a good dinner so you will be ready for the big game tomorrow.‎
    2. Healthful.
      carrots are good for you;  walking is good for you‎
    3. Pleasant; enjoyable.
      the music, dancing, and food were very good;  we had a good time‎
    4. Favourable.
      a good omen;  good weather‎
    5. Beneficial; worthwhile.
      a good job‎
      • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 22, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
        Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. […] Next day she […] tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.
    6. Adequate; sufficient; not fallacious.
  4. (colloquial) With "and", extremely.
    The soup is good and hot.‎
  5. Holy (especially when capitalized) .
    Good Friday‎
  6. (of quantities)
    1. Reasonable in amount.
      all in good time‎
    2. Large in amount or size.
      a good while longer;  a good number of seeds;  A good part of his day was spent shopping.  It will be a good while longer until he's done.  He's had a good amount of troubles, he has.‎
      • 1909, Archibald Marshall, The Squire's Daughter, chapterIII:
        The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them, […].
    3. Entire.
      This hill will take a good hour and a half to climb.  The car was a good ten miles away.‎
      • 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, Prologue:
        Athelstan Arundel walked home all the way, foaming and raging. No omnibus, cab, or conveyance ever built could contain a young man in such a rage. His mother lived at Pembridge Square, which is four good measured miles from Lincoln's Inn.
Usage notes
  • In informal (often jocular) contexts, best may be inflected further and given the comparative bester and the superlative bestest; these forms are nonstandard.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Interjection

good

  1. That is good; an elliptical exclamation of satisfaction or commendation.
    Good! I can leave now.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English goode ‎(“good, well”, adverb), from the adjective. Compare Dutch goed ‎(“good, well”, adverb), German gut ‎(“good, well”, adverb), Danish godt ‎(“good, well”, adverb), Swedish godt ‎(“good, well”, adverb), all from the adjective.

Adverb

good ‎(comparative better, superlative best)

  1. (nonstandard) Well; satisfactorily or thoroughly.
    • 1906, Zane Grey, The Spirit of the Border: A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley
      If Silvertip refuses to give you the horse, grab him before he can draw a weapon, and beat him good. You're big enough to do it.
    • 2007 April 19, Jimmy Wales, “Jimmy Wales on the User-Generated Generation”, Fresh Air, WHYY, Pennsylvania
      The one thing that we can't do...is throw out the baby with the bathwater.... We know our process works pretty darn good and, uh, it’s really sparked this amazing phenomenon of this...high-quality website.
Derived terms

Etymology 3

From Middle English good, god, from Old English gōd ‎(“a good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good, goodness, welfare; virtue, ability, doughtiness; goods, property, wealth”), from Proto-Germanic *gōdą ‎(“goods, belongings”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ-, *gʰodʰ- ‎(“to unite, be associated, suit”). Compare German Gut ‎(“item of merchandise; estate; property”).

Noun

good ‎(countable and uncountable, plural goods)

  1. (uncountable) The forces or behaviors that are the enemy of evil. Usually consists of helping others and general benevolence.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 13, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness caused more harm than good.
  2. (countable) A result that is positive in the view of the speaker.
  3. (uncountable) The abstract instantiation of goodness; that which possesses desirable qualities, promotes success, welfare, or happiness, is serviceable, fit, excellent, kind, benevolent, etc.
    • Bible, Psalms iv. 6
      There be many that say, Who will show us any good?
    • Jay
      The good of the whole community can be promoted only by advancing the good of each of the members composing it.
    The best is the enemy of the good.‎
  4. (countable, chiefly in the plural) An item of merchandise.
Antonyms
  • (forces of good): bad, evil
  • (positive result): bad
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 4

From Middle English goden, godien, from Old English gōdian ‎(“to improve, get better; make better; endow, enrich”), from Proto-Germanic *gōdōną ‎(“to make better, improve”), from Proto-Germanic *gōdaz ‎(“good, favourable”).

Verb

good ‎(third-person singular simple present goods, present participle gooding, simple past and past participle gooded)

  1. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To thrive; fatten; prosper; improve.
  2. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To make good; turn to good; improve.
  3. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To make improvements or repairs.
  4. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To benefit; gain.
  5. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To do good to (someone); benefit; cause to improve or gain.
  6. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To satisfy; indulge; gratify.
  7. (reflexive, now chiefly dialectal) To flatter; congratulate oneself; anticipate.
Derived terms

Etymology 5

From English dialectal, from Middle English *goden, of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish göda ‎(“to fatten, fertilise, battle”), Danish gøde ‎(“to fertilise, battle”), ultimately from the adjective. See above.

Verb

good ‎(third-person singular simple present goods, present participle gooding, simple past and past participle gooded)

  1. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal, Scotland) To furnish with dung; manure; fatten with manure; fertilise.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Hall to this entry?)
Derived terms
  • goodening

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: after · first · down · #98: good · never · shall · most

Dutch Low Saxon

Adjective

good

  1. good

Limburgish

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *gōdaz. Related to English good. Not related to gód.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ʝoː˦d], [ʝoː˦t]

Adjective

good ‎(comparative baeter, superlative bès, predicative superlative 't 't bès)

  1. good

Inflection

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English gōd, from Proto-Germanic *gōdaz.

Adjective

good ‎(comparative beter, superlative beste)

  1. Good (of good quality).
  2. Good (morally right).

Etymology

From Middle English good, from Old English gōd, from Proto-Germanic *gōdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- ‎(“to unite, be associated, suit”). Related to gather.

Cognate with Scots guid ‎(“good”), Saterland Frisian goud ‎(“good”), West Frisian goed ‎(“good”), Dutch goed ‎(“good”), German Low German good ‎(“good”), German gut ‎(“good”), Danish and Swedish god ‎(“good”), Icelandic góður ‎(“good”), Lithuanian guõdas ‎(“honor”), Old Church Slavonic годъ ‎(godŭ, “pleasing time”) and годенъ ‎(godenŭ, “fitting, suitable”), Sanskrit गद्य ‎(gádhya, “fitting, suitable”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: go͝od, IPA(key): /ɡʊd/
  • (AAVE) enPR: go͝o(d), IPA(key): /ɡʊ(d)/
  • Rhymes: -ʊd

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