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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