well-to-do

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Related to well-to-do: well off

well-to-do

(wĕl′tə-do͞o′)

adj.

Prosperous; affluent; well-off.

n. (used with a pl. verb)

Affluent or wealthy people: Demonstrators protested that the tax bill favored the well-to-do.

[From the phrase well to do in the world : well, prosperous, affluent + to, for + do, doing.]

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-to-do

adj

(Banking & Finance) moderately wealthy

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

well′-to-do′

adj.

prosperous; rich; affluent.

[1815–25]

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Adj.

well-to-do - in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich; "they were comfortable or even wealthy by some standards"; "easy living"; "a prosperous family"; "his family is well-situated financially"; "well-to-do members of the community"

prosperous, well-fixed, well-heeled, well-off, well-situated, comfortable, easy

rich - possessing material wealth; "her father is extremely rich"; "many fond hopes are pinned on rich uncles"

well-to-do

adjective rich, wealthy, affluent, well-off, loaded (slang), comfortable, flush (informal), prosperous, well-heeled (informal), moneyed two well-educated girls from well-to-do homes
broke (informal), poor, ruined, bankrupt, needy, hard up (informal), insolvent, destitute, indigent, down at heel, on the breadline

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

well-to-do

adjective

Enjoying steady good fortune or financial security:

comfortable, easy, prosperous, well-heeled, well-off.

Informal: well-fixed.

Idioms: comfortably off, in clover, on easy street.

Translations

well-to-do

[ˌweltəˈduː]

A. ADJ → acomodado

B. NPL the well-to-do → las clases acomodadas

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-to-do

[ˌwɛltəˈduː] adj → abbiente, benestante

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

well²

(wel) – comparative better (ˈbetə) : superlative best (best) – adjective

1. healthy. I don't feel very / at all well; She doesn't look very well; She's been ill but she's quite well now.

2. in a satisfactory state or condition. All is well now.

adverb

1. in a good, correct, successful, suitable etc way. He's done well to become a millionaire at thirty; She plays the piano well; Mother and baby are both doing well; How well did he do in the exam?

2. with good reason; with justice. You may well look ashamed – that was a cruel thing to do; You can't very well refuse to go.

3. with approval or praise. He speaks well of you.

4. used (with eg damn, ~jolly etc) for emphasis. You can jolly well do it yourself!

5. thoroughly. Examine the car well before you buy it.

6. to a great or considerable extent. He is well over fifty.

interjection

1. used to express surprise etc. Well! I'd never have believed it!

2. used when re-starting a conversation, starting an explanation etc. Do you remember John Watson? Well, he's become a teacher.

well-

1. in a good, satisfactory etc way etc, as in well-behaved.

2. very much, as in well-known.

ˌwell-beˈhaved adjective

behaving correctly. well-behaved children.

ˌwell-ˈbeing noun

welfare. She is always very concerned about her mother's well-being.

ˌwell-ˈbred adjective

(of a person) having good manners.

ˌwell-ˈbuilt adjective

muscular; having a strong, handsome figure.

ˌwell-ˈdone adjective

(of meat) cooked until there is no blood in it; (of food) cooked for a long time.

ˌwell-ˈearned adjective

thoroughly deserved. a well-earned rest.

ˌwell-ˈeducated adjective

educated to a good standard.

ˌwell-ˈfed adjective

correctly and sufficiently fed.

ˌwell-ˈgroomed adjective

of smart, tidy appearance.

ˌwell-inˈformed adjective

having or showing a thorough knowledge. a well-informed person/essay.

ˌwell-ˈknown adjective

familiar or famous. a well-known TV personality.

ˌwell-ˈmade adjective

a well-made table.

ˌwell-ˈmannered adjective

polite.

ˌwell-ˈoff adjective

1. rich. He is very well-off; a well-off young lady.

2. fortunate. You do not know when you are well off.

ˌwell-ˈread (-ˈred) adjective

having read many books etc; intelligent.

ˌwell-ˈspoken adjective

(of a person) speaking with a pleasing voice, in a grammatically correct way etc.

ˌwell-to-ˈdo adjective

having enough money to live comfortably.

ˌwell-wisher noun

a person who wishes one success etc.

as well

in addition; too. If you will go, I'll go as well.

as well as

in addition to. She works in a restaurant in the evenings as well as doing a full-time job during the day.

be just as well

to be fortunate; to be no cause for regret. It's just as well (that) you didn't go – the meeting was cancelled.

be as well to

to be advisable or sensible. It would be as well to go by train – the roads are flooded.

very well

fine, okay. Have you finished? Very well, you may go now.

well done!

used in congratulating a person. I hear you won the competition. Well done!

well enough

fairly, but not particularly, well.

well up in

knowing a great deal about. He's very well up in financial matters.

References in periodicals archive ?

households while 42 percent went to the most well-to-do one percent.

Enforcement would ensure that the well-to-do assume a responsibility to do more than simply drink their fill and thirst for more.

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