INDEX:
1. something you like or enjoy very much
2. well made or of good quality
3. good ideas/plans/suggestions
4. a good performance/piece of work/achievement
5. good literature/music/art
6. good weather
7. how good something is
8. morally good person
9. morally good behaviour
10. books, films, jokes etc that are not morally offensive or harmful
11. the quality of being morally good
12. standards of good and bad behaviour
13. relating to what is right or wrong
14. your personal ideas about what is right or wrong
15. thinking you are morally better than other people
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ BAD
to be good at something : ↑ GOOD AT
see also
↑ BEST
↑ BETTER
↑ PERFECT
↑ DELICIOUS
↑ CONVENIENT
↑ IMPRESS
↑ ENTHUSIASTIC/UNENTHUSIASTIC
↑ EXCITED/EXCITING
↑ ENJOY
↑ LIKE
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1. something you like or enjoy very much
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ Did you have a good weekend?
▪ It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.
▪ That smells good. What are you cooking?
▪ There’s nothing good on TV these days.
▪ This year’s show was much better than last year’s.
very/really good
▪ We enjoyed our trip to Canada. It was really good.
▷ nice /naɪs/ [adjective]
pleasant or enjoyable :
▪ I hope you have a nice vacation.
▪ Come over on Saturday. It would be nice to see you.
very/really nice
▪ She made us a really nice dinner.
▷ great spoken also excellent /greɪt, ˈeks ə lənt/ [adjective]
extremely good :
▪ Thanks for a great afternoon.
▪ ‘Did you have a good holiday?’ ‘It was great!’
▪ Our local theatre has put on some excellent productions.
▪ an excellent film
▷ perfect /ˈpɜːʳfɪkt/ [adjective]
so good that it could not be made any better :
▪ It was a perfect day out.
▪ This church is a perfect example of Gothic architecture.
▪ ‘How was your holiday?’ ‘Oh, just perfect!’
▷ marvellous/wonderful/fantastic/terrific /ˈmɑːʳv ə ləs, ˈwʌndəʳf ə l, fænˈtæstɪk, təˈrɪfɪk/ [adjective] spoken
very good in a way that makes you feel happy or excited :
▪ The kids had a marvellous time at the carnival.
▪ You get a wonderful view of the mountains from here.
▪ The special effects in the movie were just fantastic.
▪ Their latest album’s terrific.
▷ amazing/incredible /əˈmeɪzɪŋ, ɪnˈkredə̇b ə l/ [adjective]
very good in a surprising and exciting way :
▪ Standing there on top of Mount Fuji was an amazing experience.
▪ What a goal! That was just incredible!
▷ brilliant /ˈbrɪljənt/ [adjective] spoken
extremely good :
▪ You should come to the new sports centre - it’s brilliant.
▪ ‘How was your trip?’ ‘Absolutely brilliant!’
▷ neat /niːt/ [adjective] American spoken
very good or enjoyable :
▪ That’s such a neat car.
really neat
▪ The fireworks over Golden Gate Park were really neat.
▷ be out of this world /biː ˌaʊt əv ðɪs ˈwɜːʳld/ [verb phrase] spoken
use this to say that something is so good, enjoyable etc, that it is almost the best you have ever experienced :
▪ Her new apartment’s out of this world!
▪ This is the best soufflé I’ve ever tasted -- it’s out of this world.
2. well made or of good quality
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ Lisa’s work has been much better recently.
▪ It’s a good car, but it’s very expensive.
▪ It’s worth paying a bit more for a good haircut.
very good
▪ There are one or two very good restaurants nearby.
▷ well /wel/ [adverb]
if something is done or made well, it is done with a lot of care and skill, so that it is of a high standard :
▪ Jean’s playing much better since you gave her some lessons.
▪ one of the best designed cars on the market
very well
▪ Both books are very well written and enjoyable to read.
do well
▪ Don’t worry about the test - I’m sure you’ll do well.
▷ excellent /ˈeks ə lənt/ [adjective]
of extremely good quality or very well made :
▪ The bank provides an excellent service for its customers.
▪ They told me my English was excellent.
▷ good quality/high quality /ˌgʊd ˈkwɒlə̇ti, ˌhaɪ ˈkwɒlə̇tiǁ -ˈkwɑːl-/ [adjective phrase]
well made from good materials :
▪ If you buy good quality shoes, they last much longer.
▪ We only use the highest quality ingredients for our pizzas.
of good/high quality
▪ handmade carpets of the highest quality
▷ first-class /ˌfɜːʳst ˈklɑːs◂ǁ-ˈklæs◂/ [adjective]
a product or service that is first-class is much better than most others :
▪ Jaguar has always made first-class cars.
▪ The food at the restaurant is always first-class.
▷ fine /faɪn/ [adjective only before noun]
of a very high quality and often valuable, rare, or very skilfully made :
▪ The collar is made of finest English lace.
▪ The train passes near Gate Manor, a fine Victorian mock Jacobean hall.
▷ superior /suːˈpɪ ə riəʳ, sjuː-ǁsʊ-/ [adjective]
better made or of a better quality than most similar products - used especially in advertisements :
▪ Style, comfort and superior cuisine are the most important characteristics of a good hotel.
▷ deluxe /dɪˈlʌks, dəˈlʌksǁ-ˈlʊks/ [adjective only before noun]
deluxe model/version/edition etc
one that is of high quality because it has more features or uses better quality materials than others made by the same company :
▪ The deluxe model comes complete with an in-car CD player and car-phone.
▪ Longman has published a deluxe, leather-bound edition of Johnson’s Dictionary.
3. good ideas/plans/suggestions
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ ‘Why don’t you write to your bank and ask for a loan?’ ‘That’s a good idea.’
▪ I thought it would be a good idea to arrive early.
▪ That’s the best suggestion you’ve made all day.
▪ The best way of getting your children to learn foreign languages is to send them to stay abroad.
▷ excellent /ˈeks ə lənt/ [adjective]
extremely good :
▪ We were given some excellent financial advice by Mr Samuel.
▪ That sounds like an excellent idea to me.
▷ great /greɪt/ [adjective] spoken informal
a great idea is one that you like very much :
great idea
▪ ‘Let’s have a barbecue.’ ‘That’s a great idea.’
great!
▪ ‘You want to go to a movie instead?’ ‘Yeah, great, why not!’
▷ neat /niːt/ [adjective] American spoken
say this when you think an idea is good because it is original and clever :
▪ Jim and I need more time together away from the kids, so we came up with this neat idea of meeting after work.
▪ ‘Why don’t we go to the beach!’ ‘Yeah that sounds really neat.’
▷ terrific/fantastic /təˈrɪfɪk, fænˈtæstɪk/ [adjective]
extremely good, in a way that makes you feel happy or excited :
▪ I’ve just though of a fantastic idea.
▪ ‘What do you think of Kate’s suggestion?’ ‘I think it’s terrific.’
▷ brilliant /ˈbrɪljənt/ [adjective] British informal
extremely good and clever :
▪ ‘Maybe we should invite them over here instead of going to their place.’ ‘Brilliant!’
▪ Joanna came up with a brilliant idea for a new book.
▷ attractive /əˈtræktɪv/ [adjective]
attractive offer/proposition/package etc
one that is very good and makes you want to accept it :
▪ The job pays well and you get a company car and 30 days holiday a year -- it’s certainly an attractive offer.
▪ We’ve put together what we think is a very attractive package, including discounts, special offers, and free credit.
4. a good performance/piece of work/achievement
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ Harry’s work is always very good.
▪ Rosemary does a good job here.
▪ It’s the best performance we’ve seen from Giggs all season.
▪ Her grades are getting better all the time.
▷ excellent /ˈeks ə lənt/ [adjective]
extremely good :
▪ They complimented her on her excellent English.
▪ Many studies reported excellent results with the drug.
▷ outstanding /aʊtˈstændɪŋ/ [adjective]
an outstanding performance or achievement is extremely good and much better than that of most other people :
▪ It was an outstanding performance by a talented young actor.
▪ Her work has been outstanding all year.
▷ brilliant /ˈbrɪljənt/ [adjective]
extremely good, and showing an unusually high level of skill or intelligence :
▪ Michael Horden gave a brilliant performance as King Lear.
▪ After a brilliant career at St Luke’s Hospital, she was given her own department.
▪ The decision to reorganize the company was a brilliant success.
brilliantly [adverb]
▪ The team played absolutely brilliantly.
▷ impressive /ɪmˈpresɪv/ [adjective]
something that is impressive is of an unusually good quality and you admire it :
▪ The school’s examination results were very impressive.
▪ an impressive achievement
▷ exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]
much better than the usual standard :
▪ He writes good essays, but I wouldn’t say that his work is particularly exceptional.
▪ Merits are given as an honour for exceptional achievement.
exceptionally [adverb]
▪ Only exceptionally bright students are entered for the examination.
▷ admirable /ˈædm ə rəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
something that is admirable has good qualities that make you like and admire it :
▪ It is an admirable book, the first to tell the whole truth about the war.
admirably [adverb]
▪ We found the organization of the company to be admirably democratic.
5. good literature/music/art
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ Good music seems to be a thing of the past.
▪ Students need to read a lot of good fiction in order to form their own opinions about quality.
▪ Her early work is much better than her more recent stuff.
▪ Which do you think is their best album?
▷ great /greɪt/ [adjective]
extremely good and skilful, and therefore admired and remembered by many people for a long time :
▪ Many of our great works of art are being sold and exported.
▪ There’s some debate as to what constitutes great poetry.
▪ The Renaissance period produced some of the greatest architecture of all time.
▷ classic /ˈklæsɪk/ [adjective only before noun]
classic film/book/album etc
a film, book etc that is one of the best of its kind :
▪ 2001 is a classic science fiction movie.
▪ The Rolling Stones produced a string of classic singles in the mid 60s including ‘Satisfaction’ and ‘Brown Sugar’.
classic [countable noun]
▪ Movies like "Paris, Texas’ have become modern classics.
▷ work of art /ˌwɜːʳk əv ˈɑːʳt/ [noun phrase]
something produced by an artist, especially something that most people agree is of very high quality :
▪ Several priceless works of art were badly damaged when the palace was bombed.
▷ masterpiece /ˈmɑːstəʳpiːsǁˈmæs-/ [countable noun]
a picture, sculpture etc that is of extremely high quality, especially one that is believed to be the best work of a particular artist :
▪ one of the great Italian masterpieces
▪ Many people regard this painting as Raphael’s masterpiece.
6. good weather
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ Did you have good weather in France?
▪ The weather report says the weather should be good over the weekend.
▪ The weather was a bit better in the second week.
▷ nice /naɪs/ [adjective] especially British, spoken
pleasantly warm and with plenty of sun :
▪ Morning, Bill. Nice weather, isn’t it?
▪ It’s a nice day - why don’t we go for a walk?
▷ beautiful/glorious also lovely especially British /ˈbjuːtɪf ə l, ˈbjuːtəf ə l, ˈglɔːriəs, ˈlʌvli/ [adjective] especially spoken
warm and with a lot of sun :
▪ a beautiful sunny morning
▪ a glorious summer
▪ What a lovely morning!
▷ fine /faɪn/ [adjective] British
if the weather is fine, it is not raining and the sky is clear :
▪ Next week will be fine but a little cooler.
▪ a fine summer evening
7. how good something is
▷ quality /ˈkwɒlɪti, ˈkwɒlətiǁˈkwɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
the measure of how well something is made or produced, or how good a material is :
▪ Supermarket wines tend to vary in price and quality.
▪ We always guarantee the best quality to our customers.
be of good/reasonable/poor etc quality
▪ She always insists that her writing paper is of good quality.
▪ The recording is of very poor quality.
▷ standard /ˈstændəʳd/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the measure of how well someone does something :
▪ Safety standards are simply not being maintained.
above/below a standard
▪ In reading tests, 15% of school students were found to be below the standard for their age.
be of a good/high standard
▪ All his work is of a very high standard.
be up to standard
be of an acceptable level
▪ I’m afraid your driving isn’t yet up to standard.
standard of
▪ The standard of workmanship on this table is extraordinarily high.
8. morally good person
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
kind, honest, and helpful :
▪ Jean’s a very good person - she’s always ready to help.
▪ He had always tried to lead a good life.
▪ I wish I could be a better person.
▪ There are good and bad people wherever you go.
▷ decent /ˈdiːs ə nt/ [adjective]
someone who is decent is good and honest according to the normal standards of society :
▪ Decent citizens have nothing to fear from the police.
▪ a decent, honest, hard-working woman
▪ Decent members of the public will be outraged by this decision.
▷ respectable /rɪˈspektəb ə l/ [adjective]
behaving and living your life in a way that is considered morally correct by society, especially because of the family you come from :
▪ Tony was always in trouble with the police when he was young, but now he’s a respectable married man.
▪ The girls in the school all come from very respectable families.
respectability /rɪˌspektəˈbɪlɪti, rɪˌspektəˈbɪləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Many of the worst gangsters maintained an air of respectability.
▷ upright /ˈʌpraɪt/ [adjective usually before noun] written
someone who is upright is honest, obeys the law, and behaves according to the moral standards of society :
▪ Most upright, law-abiding citizens have very little contact with the police.
▪ Maggie’s parents set her a good example, being upright and hard-working people.
▷ virtuous /ˈvɜːʳtʃuəs/ [adjective] formal
very good and honest and always behaving according to the highest moral standards :
▪ Father Tom was a hard-working, virtuous man, liked and respected by everyone.
▪ They wanted him to marry a virtuous young woman from a respectable family.
▷ saint /seɪnt/ [countable noun]
someone who is unusually kind, generous, helpful etc and is therefore considered to be very special :
▪ Your mother’s a saint. She’s done so much to help us.
▪ I always thought she was a selfish woman but she was an absolute saint compared to Abigail.
▷ saintly /ˈseɪntli/ [adjective]
behaving in a very good way, especially by living your life in a very pure and holy way :
▪ He was a saintly man who always put others before himself.
▪ There were aspects of her life that were not as saintly as the Victorians liked to believe.
▷ be an example to /biː ən ɪgˈzɑːmp ə l tuː ǁ-ˈzæm-/ [verb phrase]
to be so good or to have achieved something so good that other people would improve if they tried to be like you :
▪ You’re a very brave young man. An example to all of us!
▪ His discipline and organization should be an example to teachers everywhere.
9. morally good behaviour
▷ good /gʊd/ [adjective]
▪ The nuns here do many good things for people in the local community.
it is good of somebody to do something
▪ It was very good of you to hand the money in to the police - a lot of people would have just kept it.
good deed
a good action
▪ Victor devoted his life to helping others and didn’t expect any reward for his good deeds.
▷ right /raɪt/ [adjective not usually before noun]
morally correct :
▪ You can’t do that. It’s not right.
▪ I only want to do the right thing.
▪ It’s not right to tell lies.
it’s only right
anything else would not be right
▪ It’s only right that parents should help their children.
right [uncountable noun]
▪ She always tried to teach her children the difference between right and wrong.
rightly [adverb]
▪ They’ve been punished for their crimes, and quite rightly.
▷ ethical /ˈeθɪk ə l/ [adjective]
morally correct, especially according to a set of ideas about how people should behave in a particular profession :
▪ Is it ethical to use this drug to control patients’ behaviour?
▪ There is only one ethical way to carry out this experiment.
▷ decent /ˈdiːs ə nt/ [adjective]
fair, honest, or kind :
▪ Perhaps Jack wanted to do something decent, for a change.
it is decent of somebody to do something
▪ It’s very decent of you to be so pleased for me -- I know how much you wanted to win this competition.
decently [adverb]
▪ You could at least try to behave decently towards the people you have to work with.
▷ honourable British /honorable American /ˈɒn ə rəb ə lǁˈɑːn-/ [adjective]
morally correct and showing that you have high moral standards, especially if you are doing something that you feel is your duty :
▪ It would not be honourable for me, as a solicitor, to reveal my client’s business to anyone.
▪ The most honorable thing that he can do in these circumstances is to resign.
honourably [adverb]
▪ Despite his anger at having been wrongly accused, Peterson behaved honourably throughout the trial,
▷ be above/beyond reproach /biː əˌbʌv, bɪˌjɒnd rɪˈprəʊtʃǁ-ˌjɑːnd-/ [verb phrase]
so good that no one can criticize or find any fault in the way you behave :
▪ Throughout this ordeal her behaviour was beyond reproach.
▪ We need a chairman whose reputation and character are above reproach.
10. books, films, jokes etc that are not morally offensive or harmful
▷ wholesome /ˈhəʊls ə m/ [adjective]
wholesome behaviour, activities, books etc are considered good and suitable for everyone, especially because they do not involve sex or swearing :
▪ He read your new book and said it was wholesome and not at all offensive.
▪ The good thing about this game is that it provides clean and wholesome fun for all the family.
▷ clean /kliːn/ [adjective]
clean humour/jokes/language etc
not offensive to anyone, especially because of not being about sex :
▪ Join us tomorrow night for an evening of good clean fun.
keep it clean
not do or say anything offensive
▪ He’s been asked to tell some jokes in his speech but he’s got to keep it clean.
11. the quality of being morally good
▷ goodness /ˈgʊdnɪs, ˈgʊdnəs/ [uncountable noun]
what is good in a person’s character :
▪ She had a wonderful combination of beauty and goodness.
▪ His goodness shines through his every action.
▷ good /gʊd/ [uncountable noun]
good actions, characteristics, or behaviour :
▪ Everyone has a choice between good and evil.
▪ I just can’t see any good in these people at all.
▷ decency /ˈdiːs ə nsi/ [uncountable noun]
kindness, honesty, and fairness in the way that you treat other people :
▪ You can rely on their decency and good sense.
have the decency to do something
▪ I think you should have the decency to tell him you are already married.
common decency
ordinary decency that most people have
▪ He borrowed money from me and didn’t even have the common decency to pay me back.
12. standards of good and bad behaviour
▷ morals /ˈmɒrəlzǁˈmɔː-/ [plural noun]
the basic ideas that a person or a society has about what is morally good and right :
▪ He only knew the morals, customs and beliefs of his mountain village.
▪ the influence of rock music on the minds and morals of young people
▪ Harry doesn’t seem to have any morals at all.
▷ right and wrong /ˌraɪt ə n ˈrɒŋ/ [noun phrase]
the idea or understanding that some things are morally good and some or morally bad :
▪ They’re only children, but they do know the difference between right and wrong.
▪ Do we naturally have a sense of right and wrong, or are we taught it?
▷ morality /məˈrælɪti, məˈræləti/ [uncountable noun]
ideas about what is right and what is wrong, or the degree to which something is morally acceptable :
▪ Victorian commentators were very concerned about public morality generally.
▪ I think we should question the morality of turning away refugees.
▪ Anyone who carried out such an attack obviously has no morality whatsoever.
▷ ethics /ˈeθɪks/ [plural noun]
a system of rules about what is morally right or wrong, especially rules followed by a religious group or people in a particular profession :
▪ What are the differences between Muslim and Christian ethics?
▪ medical ethics
code of ethics
system of ethics
▪ As a therapist he has to follow a very strict code of ethics.
▷ standards /ˈstændəʳdz/ [plural noun]
personal rules of behaviour, based on an idea of what is morally good and right :
▪ He was a good man who kept up the very highest standards throughout his life.
▪ There has been a serious decline in moral standards among the young people of today.
▷ values /ˈvæljuːz/ [plural noun]
the ideas that a person or group has about what things are good, right, and important in life :
▪ As a child he had admired his father’s values and lifestyle.
▪ a black identity based on black culture and black values
▪ She rejected the traditional values of her society.
13. relating to what is right or wrong
▷ moral /ˈmɒrəlǁˈmɔː-/ [adjective usually before noun]
▪ We follow the moral laws laid down by our religion.
▪ They live according to a deeply held moral code.
▪ Everything that he writes has a high moral purpose.
moral obligation
something that you do not have to do, but your moral sense says that you must do
▪ You have a moral obligation to help your sister’s children.
morality /məˈrælɪti, məˈræləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ There was a lot of public debate about the morality of the invasion.
▷ morally /ˈmɒrəliǁˈmɔː-/ [adverb]
according to what is right or wrong, or good or evil :
▪ We are morally opposed to capital punishment.
▪ The government is morally obliged to do all it can for the refugees.
▪ It is morally wrong to punish someone for something they did not do.
▷ ethical /ˈeθɪk ə l/ [adjective]
morally correct according to the rules of behaviour in a particular profession :
▪ It would not be ethical for me, as a doctor, to talk to you about my patients.
14. your personal ideas about what is right or wrong
▷ conscience /ˈkɒnʃ ə nsǁˈkɑːn-/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the inner sense of what is right or wrong that makes you feel guilty if you do something wrong :
▪ Her conscience would not let her take all the credit for their work.
guilty/bad conscience
▪ It was a guilty conscience that made him admit stealing the money.
clear/good conscience
▪ Marie got up especially early to do all her work so that she could enjoy herself afterwards with a clear conscience.
social/political etc conscience
a moral sense of how society should be
▪ He was a man of strong social conscience, who actively campaigned against poverty in all its forms.
conscience-stricken
feeling guilty because you have done something wrong
▪ She hurried home, conscience-stricken about having left all the dishes for Natalie to do.
▷ scruples /ˈskruːp ə lz/ [plural noun]
personal moral principles that stop you from doing something morally wrong - use this especially about someone who does not have moral principles :
▪ He is very ambitious and has absolutely no scruples.
▪ These large drug syndicates are not affected by moral scruples -- they just want to make a profit.
▷ principles /ˈprɪnsɪp ə lz, ˈprɪnsəp ə lz/ [plural noun]
strong ideas about what is morally right and wrong, that you try to follow in everything that you do :
▪ Jimmy tried to live according to Christian principles.
▪ Does she have any principles at all?
against somebody’s principles
morally wrong to that person
▪ I won’t get involved in a deal like this -- it’s against all my principles.
15. thinking you are morally better than other people
▷ self-righteous /ˌself ˈraɪtʃəs/ [adjective]
feeling very confident about how good you are and about your high moral standards, in a way that annoys other people :
▪ His grandparents were stern and self-righteous people.
▪ I’ve got nothing against vegetarians, but some of them are so self-righteous!
self-righteousness [uncountable noun]
▪ She sniffed, with a mixture of self-righteousness and self-pity.
self-righteously [adverb]
▪ ‘I always give plenty of money to charity,’ he boasted self-righteously.
▷ sanctimonious /ˌsæŋktɪˈməʊniəs◂, ˌsæŋktəˈməʊniəs◂/ [adjective]
behaving as if you are morally better than other people, especially in telling them what you think is right and wrong :
▪ Don’t be so sanctimonious, Helen! I’ll live my life the way I want to live it.
▪ The Principal reacted to the school party with an air of sanctimonious disapproval.
▷ holier-than-thou /ˌhəʊliəʳ ð ə n ˈðaʊ/ [adjective]
showing other people very clearly that you think you are morally better than they are :
▪ I know he doesn’t smoke or drink but I wish he wasn’t so holier-than-thou.
▪ She was intensely irritated by Emma’s holier-than-thou attitude.
▷ moralistic /ˌmɒrəˈlɪstɪk◂ǁˌmɔː-/ [adjective]
telling other people what you think is right or wrong about their behaviour, especially in an annoying way or when you have no right to do this :
▪ Our teachers were dull, uninspiring, and moralistic.
▪ a moralistic, middle-class newspaper
▷ preachy /ˈpriːtʃi/ [adjective]
trying too hard to make people accept your ideas about what it right or wrong, especially when this is unnecessary or annoying :
▪ It’s not a bad book, but it’s a bit preachy.
▪ Much of the film is preachy, pretentious, and slow.