I. ˈgu̇d adjective
( bet·ter ˈbe-tər ; best ˈbest)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English gōd; akin to Old High German guot good, Middle High German gatern to unite, Sanskrit gadhya what one clings to
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) : of a favorable character or tendency
good news
(2) : bountiful , fertile
good land
(3) : handsome , attractive
good looks
b.
(1) : suitable , fit
good to eat
(2) : free from injury or disease
one good arm
(3) : not depreciated
bad money drives out good
(4) : commercially sound
a good risk
(5) : that can be relied on
good for another year
good for a hundred dollars
always good for a laugh
(6) : profitable , advantageous
made a very good deal
c.
(1) : agreeable , pleasant
had a good time
(2) : salutary , wholesome
good for a cold
(3) : amusing , clever
a good joke
d.
(1) : of a noticeably large size or quantity : considerable
won by a good margin
a good bit of the time
(2) : full
waited a good hour
(3) — used as an intensive
a good many of us
e.
(1) : well-founded , cogent
good reasons
(2) : true
holds good for society at large
(3) : deserving of respect : honorable
in good standing
(4) : legally valid or effectual
good title
f.
(1) : adequate , satisfactory
good care
— often used in faint praise
his serve is only good — Frank Deford
(2) : conforming to a standard
good English
(3) : choice , discriminating
good taste
(4) : containing less fat and being less tender than higher grades — used of meat and especially of beef
2.
a.
(1) : virtuous , right , commendable
a good person
good conduct
(2) : kind , benevolent
good intentions
b. : upper-class
a good family
c. : competent , skillful
a good doctor
d.
(1) : loyal
a good party man
a good Catholic
(2) : close
a good friend
e. : free from infirmity or sorrow
I feel good
• good·ish ˈgu̇-dish adjective
•
- as good as
- as good as gold
- good and
Usage:
An old notion that it is wrong to say “I feel good” in reference to health still occasionally appears in print. The origins of this notion are obscure, but they seem to combine someone's idea that good should be reserved to describe virtue and uncertainty about whether an adverb or an adjective should follow feel. Today nearly everyone agrees that both good and well can be predicate adjectives after feel. Both are used to express good health, but good may connote good spirits in addition to good health.
II. noun
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : something that is good
b.
(1) : something conforming to the moral order of the universe
(2) : praiseworthy character : goodness
c. : a good element or portion
2.
a. : advancement of prosperity or well-being
the good of the community
it's for your own good
b. : something useful or beneficial
it's no good trying
3.
a. : something that has economic utility or satisfies an economic want
b. plural : personal property having intrinsic value but usually excluding money, securities, and negotiable instruments
c. plural : cloth
d. plural : something manufactured or produced for sale : wares, merchandise
canned good s
e. plural , British : freight
4. : good persons — used with the
5. plural
a. : the qualities required to achieve an end
b. : proof of wrongdoing
didn't have the good s on him — T. G. Cooke
•
- for good
- in good with
- to the good
III. adverb
Date: 13th century
1. : well
he showed me how good I was doing — Herbert Gold
2. — used as an intensive
a good 200 pounds
a good long time
Usage:
Adverbial good has been under attack from the schoolroom since the 19th century. Insistence on well rather than good has resulted in a split in connotation: well is standard, neutral, and colorless, while good is emotionally charged and emphatic. This makes good the adverb of choice in sports
“I'm seeing the ball real good ” is what you hear — Roger Angell
In such contexts as
listen up. And listen good — Alex Karras
lets fly with his tomatoes before they can flee. He gets Clarence good — Charles Dickinson
good cannot be adequately replaced by well. Adverbial good is primarily a spoken form; in writing it occurs in reported and fictional speech and in generally familiar or informal contexts.