Wiktionary

good

See also: Good, ++good, and goods

EnglishEdit

 
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PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English good, from Old English gōd, from Proto-West Germanic *gōd, from Proto-Germanic *gōdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- (“to unite, be associated, suit”). Cognate with Russian го́дный (gódnyj, “fit, well-suited, good for; (coll.) good”), год (god), "year", via "suitable time". Not related to the word god.

Alternative formsEdit

AdjectiveEdit

good (comparative better, superlative best)

  1. (of people)
    1. Acting in the interest of what is beneficial, ethical, or moral.
      good intentions
      • 1460-1500, The Towneley Playsː
        It is not good to be alone, to walk here in this worthly wone.
      • 1500?, Evil Tonguesː
        If any man would begin his sins to reny, or any good people that frae vice deed rest ain. What so ever he were that to virtue would apply, But an ill tongue will all overthrow again.
      • 1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter 6, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London; New York, N.Y.; Melbourne, Vic.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC:
        When we are happy, we are always good, but when we are good, we are not always happy.
    2. Competent or talented.
      a good swimmer
      • 1704, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached on Several Occasions, On the nature and measure of conscience:
        Flatter him it may, I confess, (as those are generally good at flattering who are good for nothing else,) but in the meantime the poor man is left under the fatal necessity of a needless delusion
      • 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
        Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.
      • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
        And Marsha says I am a good cook!
        Audio (US)(file)
    3. Able to be depended on for the discharge of obligations incurred; of unimpaired credit; used with for.
      Can you lend me fifty dollars? You know I'm good for it.
    4. Well-behaved (especially of children or animals).
      Be good while your mother and I are out.
      Were you a good boy for the babysitter?
    5. (US) Satisfied or at ease; not requiring more.
      Would you like a glass of water? — I'm good.
      [Are] you good? — Yeah, I'm fine.
      Gimme another beer! — I think you're good.
    6. (colloquial, with with) Accepting of, OK with
      My mother said she's good with me being alone with my date as long as she's met them first.
      The soup is rather spicy. Are you good with that, or would you like something else?
    7. (archaic) Of high rank or birth.
  2. (of capabilities)
    1. Useful for a particular purpose; functional.
      it’s a good watch;  the flashlight batteries are still good
      • 1526, Herballː
        Against cough and scarceness of breath caused of cold take the drink that it hath been sodden in with Liquorice[,] or that the powder hath been sodden in with dry figs[,] for the same the electuary called dyacalamentum is good[,] and it is made thus.
      • 2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
        Plant breeding is always a numbers game. […] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, […]. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.
    2. Effective.
      a good worker
    3. (obsolete) Real; actual; serious.
      in good sooth
  3. (properties and qualities)
    1. (of food)
      1. Having a particularly pleasant taste.
        The food was very good.
        • c. 1430 (reprinted 1888), Thomas Austin, ed., Two Fifteenth-century Cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with Extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55 [Early English Text Society, Original Series; 91], London: N. Trübner & Co. for the Early English Text Society, volume I, OCLC 374760, page 11:
          Soupes dorye. — Take gode almaunde mylke […] caste þher-to Safroun an Salt […]
        • 1962 (quoting 1381 text), Hans Kurath & Sherman M. Kuhn, eds., Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, ISBN 978-0-472-01044-8, page 1242:
          dorrẹ̅, dōrī adj. & n. […] cook. glazed with a yellow substance; pome(s ~, sopes ~. […] 1381 Pegge Cook. Recipes page 114: For to make Soupys dorry. Nym onyons […] Nym wyn […] toste wyte bred and do yt in dischis, and god Almande mylk.
      2. Being satisfying; meeting dietary requirements.
        Eat a good dinner so you will be ready for the big game tomorrow.
    2. Of food or other perishable products, still fit for use; not yet expired, stale, rotten, etc.
      The bread is still good.
    3. Valid, of worth, capable of being honoured.
      This coupon is good for a free doughnut.
    4. True, valid, of explanatory strength.
      This theory still holds good even if much higher temperatures are assumed.
    5. Healthful.
      Exercise and a varied diet are good for you.
    6. Pleasant; enjoyable.
      We had a good time.
    7. Favourable.
      a good omen;  good weather
    8. Unblemished; honourable.
      a person's good name
    9. Beneficial; worthwhile.
      a good job
      • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
        Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. […] Next day she […] tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.
    10. Adequate; sufficient; not fallacious.
      • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
        My reasons are both good and weighty.
      • 1966, K. Rothfels; Margaret Freeman, “The salivary gland chromosomes of three North American species of Twinnia (Diptera: Simuliidae)”, in Canadian Journal of Zoology, volume 44, number 5, →DOI:
        Twinnia biclavata differs from T. nova by inversion IS-1 and a nucleolar shift. Both are good species.
  4. (colloquial, when with and) Very, extremely. See good and.
    The soup is good and hot.
  5. (colloquial) Ready
    I'm good when you are.
    The reports are good to go.
  6. Holy (especially when capitalized) .
    Good Friday, Good Wednesday, the Good Book
  7. (of quantities)
    1. Reasonable in amount.
      all in good time
    2. Large in amount or size.
      a good while longer;  a good number of seeds;  A good part of his day was spent shopping.  It will be a good while longer until he's done.  He's had a good amount of troubles, he has.
      • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter III, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC:
        The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them, […].
    3. Full; entire; at least as much as.
      This hill will take a good hour and a half to climb.  The car was a good ten miles away.
      • 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 16:
        Athelstan Arundel walked home all the way, foaming and raging. No omnibus, cab, or conveyance ever built could contain a young man in such a rage. His mother lived at Pembridge Square, which is four good measured miles from Lincoln's Inn.
Usage notesEdit

The comparative gooder and superlative goodest are nonstandard. In informal (often jocular) contexts, best may be inflected further and given the comparative bester and the superlative bestest; these forms are also nonstandard.

SynonymsEdit
AntonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

InterjectionEdit

good

  1. That is good; an elliptical exclamation of satisfaction or commendation.
    Good! I can leave now.
TranslationsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Middle English goode (“good, well”, adverb), from the adjective. Compare Dutch goed (“good, well”, adverb), German gut (“good, well”, adverb), Danish godt (“good, well”, adverb), Swedish godt (“good, well”, adverb), all from the adjective.

AdverbEdit

good (comparative better, superlative best)

  1. (nonstandard) Well; satisfactorily or thoroughly.
    The boy done good. (did well)
    • 1906, Zane Grey, The Spirit of the Border: A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley:
      If Silvertip refuses to give you the horse, grab him before he can draw a weapon, and beat him good. You're big enough to do it.
    • 1970, Troy Conway, The Cunning Linguist, London: Flamingo Books, page 66:
      I kept my eyes peeled for signs of pursuit. There was none, unless I was being fooled very good.
    • 1972, Harry Chapin (lyrics and music), “A Better Place to Be”, in Sniper and Other Love Songs:
      She said, "I don't want to bother you / Consider it's understood / I know I'm not no beauty queen / But I sure can listen good."
    • 2007 April 19, Jimmy Wales, “Jimmy Wales on the User-Generated Generation”, Fresh Air, WHYY, Pennsylvania [1]
      The one thing that we can't do...is throw out the baby with the bathwater.... We know our process works pretty darn good and, uh, it’s really sparked this amazing phenomenon of this...high-quality website.
    • 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel (Priority: Earth):
      Admiral Anderson: You did good, child. You did good. I'm proud of you.
Derived termsEdit

Etymology 3Edit

From Middle English good, god, from Old English gōd (“a good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good, goodness, welfare; virtue, ability, doughtiness; goods, property, wealth”), from Proto-Germanic *gōdą (“goods, belongings”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ-, *gʰodʰ- (“to unite, be associated, suit”). Compare German Gut (“item of merchandise; estate; property”).

NounEdit

good (countable and uncountable, plural goods)

  1. (uncountable) The forces or behaviours that are the enemy of evil. Usually consists of helping others and general benevolence.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness caused more harm than good.
    Antonyms: bad, evil
  2. (countable) A result that is positive in the view of the speaker.
    Antonym: bad
  3. (uncountable) The abstract instantiation of goodness; that which possesses desirable qualities, promotes success, welfare, or happiness, is serviceable, fit, excellent, kind, benevolent, etc.
    The best is the enemy of the good.
    He is an influence for good on those girls.
  4. (countable, usually in the plural) An item of merchandise.
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit

Etymology 4Edit

From Middle English goden, godien, from Old English gōdian (“to improve, get better; make better; endow, enrich”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōdōn (“to make better, improve”), from Proto-Germanic *gōdaz (“good, favourable”).

VerbEdit

good (third-person singular simple present goods, present participle gooding, simple past and past participle gooded) (now chiefly dialectal)

  1. (intransitive, now) To thrive; fatten; prosper; improve.
  2. (transitive) To make good; turn to good; improve.
  3. (intransitive) To make improvements or repairs.
  4. (intransitive) To benefit; gain.
  5. (transitive) To do good to (someone); benefit; cause to improve or gain.
  6. (transitive) To satisfy; indulge; gratify.
  7. (reflexive) To flatter; congratulate oneself; anticipate.
Derived termsEdit

Etymology 5Edit

From English dialectal, from Middle English *goden, of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish göda (“to fatten, fertilise, battle”), Danish gøde (“to fertilise, battle”), ultimately from the adjective. See above.

VerbEdit

good (third-person singular simple present goods, present participle gooding, simple past and past participle gooded)

  1. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal, Scotland) To furnish with dung; manure; fatten with manure; fertilise.
    • April 5 1628, Bishop Joseph Hall, The Blessings, Sins, and Judgments of God's Vineyard
      Nature was like itself , in it , in the world : God hath taken it in from the barren downs , and gooded it : his choice did not find , but make it thus
Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

Dutch Low SaxonEdit

AdjectiveEdit

good

  1. good

LimburgishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle Dutch goet.

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): [ʝoː˦d], [ʝoː˦t]

AdjectiveEdit

good (comparative baeter, superlative bès, predicative superlative 't 't bès)

  1. good

InflectionEdit

Declension of good (irregular)
number & gender masculine feminine neuter
singular plural singular plural singular plural
nominative gooje gooj gooj gooj good gooj
genitive goods goojer goojer goojer goods goojer
locative goojes gooje goojes gooje goojes gooje
vocative1 gooj
dative2 gooje goojen goojer goojen good goojen
accusative2 gooje goojen good gooj good goojen
1Limited to a few fossilized forms.
2Nowadays obsolete, use the nominative instead.

Middle EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old English gōd, from Proto-West Germanic *gōd, from Proto-Germanic *gōdaz.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

good (plural and weak singular gode, comparative bettre, superlative best)

  1. good (of good quality or behaviour)
  2. good (morally right or righteous)
  3. advantageous, wealthy, profitable, useful
  4. large; of a great size or quantity
  5. Having a great degree or extent.

Related termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

  • English: good
  • Scots: guid
  • Yola: gooude, gude, gayde

ReferencesEdit

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