How to Use well-meaning in a Sentence
well-meaning
adjective-
To play it safe, Lennon flushed it down the toilet — much to the disappointment of the well-meaning Smith.
— Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 12 Oct. 2024 -
As to those well-meaning folks who offer you these pep talks, be polite.
— Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 4 June 2023 -
Many well-meaning gardeners and nature lovers feed whole or carved pumpkins to deer at the end of fall.
— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024 -
Some are clear mess-ups, the short-fuse snaps or hurtful comments that even well-meaning parents make.
— Isabella Cueto, STAT, 17 July 2023 -
Sometimes well-meaning adults try to keep the padding in place anyway, only to make things harder for the child.
— Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023 -
The West Wing represents the most earnest end of the spectrum, showing us well-meaning adults running the country.
— Whizy Kim, Vox, 23 July 2024 -
When users don’t trust a platform, even well-meaning attempts to make things better can make things worse.
— Scott Duke Kominers, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2024 -
To someone who fell forward, burned on their front, and was then rolled over by a well-meaning bystander, burning the back of their body too.
— Lane Sainty, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024 -
Without the right tools, even well-meaning philanthropists can slow down their progress and impact.
— Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 -
The incident is just par for the course for Gomez, Hollywood’s busiest—if most well-meaning—gossip girl.
— Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 11 Jan. 2024 -
In 2016, the well-meaning liberals who would later display in-this-house signs on their lawns were in the market for a certain kind of book.
— Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 23 July 2024 -
His actions during that flight were a well-meaning attempt simply to wake himself up from the dream.
— Jolie Lash, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023 -
For some, the hollow, well-meaning sympathy proves too harsh to stomach.
— Joseph Lezza, Longreads, 30 Mar. 2023 -
But along with the excitement also comes the advice of well-meaning abuelos, tías, cousins, and friends on how to raise our children.
— Lola Sanchez, Parents, 29 May 2024 -
But even well-meaning physicians are not immune to the dynamic.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023 -
The dragonflies and ants captivated me more than the text or my well-meaning teacher.
— Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2023 -
Ultimately, the actor is remembered by many of the show’s cast and crew as a gifted, well-meaning artist.
— Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2024 -
Its other big boon is sweet, innocent, well-meaning Hank.
— Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2024 -
Hur concluded a jury would find Biden a well-meaning old man who was forgetful.
— Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 -
Perhaps most upsetting, though, was the pose taken by a professor — a well-meaning white man who pantomimed a big, warm bear hug.
— Selome Hailu, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023 -
Avoid any area that resembles a runway for children, dogs, even well-meaning neighbors.
— Cindy Bruecks, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Dec. 2023 -
Victims of Tropical Storm Hilary and well-meaning people looking to help them should be on the lookout for these common scams.
— Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023 -
Other well-meaning passengers will sometimes offer their seat to me so that my son and I can sit together.
— Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024 -
The tales are often boring, marked by a well-meaning blandness — by an avoidance of uncomfortable truths.
— Kabir Chibber, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024 -
These are well-meaning lessons, if by now wearyingly familiar ones.
— Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024 -
But this well-meaning effort can backfire in several ways.
— Oona Hanson, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024 -
At some point, you’ve probably been nagged by your doctor, an overly concerned parent, or a well-meaning health site (hello!) to wear SPF.
— Jenna Ryu, SELF, 21 June 2023 -
When the Hur report came out, that was directly critical of Biden and referred to him as a well-meaning old man with memory issues.
— Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 8 July 2024 -
If hit with a layoff or slew of medical bills, even a well-meaning caretaker may be tempted to divert funds towards their own needs.
— Alexandra Peers, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024 -
But accept the free meal graciously — and appreciate the rare exchange of two well-meaning humans being kind to each other.
— Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 29 Nov. 2024
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'well-meaning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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