{"id":1262,"date":"2020-09-23T22:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T21:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2020-09-23T22:00:40","modified_gmt":"2020-09-23T21:00:40","slug":"good-synonym-want-to-know-some","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/good-synonym-want-to-know-some\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Synonym: Want To Know Some?"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most common words in English is the word \u2018good\u2019. When we say something is good, it has a\u00a0positive meaning. When people ask how we\u2019re doing, among the most typical replies is, \u201cI\u2019m good.\u201d Good is oftentimes used as another word for great without thinking about it. That makes the word lose its meaning.
\nGood is an adjective and could have a whole range of related meanings or synonyms in the thesaurus: better or best; having admirable, pleasing, superior, or positive qualities; not negative, bad, or mediocre; a\u00a0good\u00a0idea; a\u00a0good\u00a0teacher; morally excellent or admirable; virtuous; righteous; a\u00a0good\u00a0man. As a collective noun, good is preceded by the,<\/em> as in the\u00a0good.
\nWe also often use \u2018good\u2019 to avoid making any specific negative or overly positive evaluation of something. If someone has cooked us dinner, and it isn\u2019t to our liking, we can still say it\u2019s good to not hurt the other person\u2019s feelings. In this case, \u2018good\u2019 is only slightly better than saying \u2018not bad\u2019. If someone has put a lot of effort into something and your only response is \u2018good\u2019, they might be upset.
\nSynonyms for good are plenty and studying them could be a very pleasant adventure. A passion for words never hurt anybody but could prove to be an asset in the literary world, for one. Additionally, a good tongue will earn you good friends. It’s nice to be told that you are good in one way or another.<\/p>\n

What is another word for good?<\/h2>\n

The thesaurus gives plenty of words synonymous to good. To add some diversity to our daily conversations, we should try using other words for good. Let’s take a look at some synonyms for good that we can use.<\/p>\n

Everything is OK<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another informal term for good is OK. This word can be just as vague as good. When we say something is OK, we aren’t really praising it at all. If we get a new phone, but it isn\u2019t very good, we can say it\u2019s OK. To emphasize that it\u2019s not very good, we often use the word \u2018just\u2019 before OK, as in \u2018This sandwich is just OK.\u2019
\nSo, using OK is very similar to using good. Now we\u2019ll examine some other related words or synonyms for good that can allow us to be more subtle in our expressions of goodness.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s Acceptable<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another word for good can be\u00a0acceptable<\/strong>. When we say that something is acceptable, that means that it is good enough to pass. For example, a car part on an assembly line can be only one of two things: acceptable or unacceptable. There\u2019s no in-between. Likewise, you may turn in the paper to your teacher, and if he or she sees that it is too short, the paper may be unacceptable. Of course, even if the paper is only acceptable, it may not be good.
\nAlthough acceptable is among good synonyms, it is usually used for something that is just barely good. If your boss gives you an evaluation, it\u2019s better to be good than acceptable. And if your teacher says that you are acceptable, it is not really much of a compliment, but it is still related.<\/p>\n

Satisfactory<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Similar to acceptable, satisfactory is among the synonyms for good. We typically define something as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Unlike acceptable, though, satisfactory involves a related feeling that is more enjoyable: An acceptable movie might not have moved you very much, but a satisfactory one should at least leave you with a smile.
\nUse the word satisfactory to describe something in a professional way. For instance, if you have a food blog and you give reviews to local restaurants, you might describe a pasta dish as satisfactory. That means that overall, it is pretty good, but it\u2019s not amazing.<\/p>\n

Good and Able<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the subtle synonyms for good is\u00a0the related adjective able. We often say that something is good and able, meaning that it is fit to do a certain purpose. For example, a 10-year-old used car might be good for driving to the supermarket every day. Otherwise, we might say the car is unable to go anywhere.
\nTry using this informal adjective when someone asks if you can do something. You may not do a great job, but at least you get it up and running.<\/p>\n

Great!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Among its synonyms, great is a big word for good, among the more positive synonyms than satisfactory. When we describe something in this way, we give a lot more emotion to it than good. We say \u201cThe concert was great!\u201d when we really, really liked the concert.
\nThis adjective can also be used to describe something big or important and this could very well be the Word of the Day. The Great Lakes bordering the U.S. and Canada receive this accolade because of their size, so does Alexander because of his conquests. Reserve this word for things that are very meaningful.<\/p>\n

Super!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Among very good synonyms is super, an informal word that means very good. We\u2019re all familiar with Superman, who has amazing abilities and protects the innocent. We often use exclamation marks after super, just like with great. An informal sentence is, \u201cThat ice cream was super!\u201d\u00a0It could be another Word of the Day.
\nWhen we go through the drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant, we may want to super-size our order. That will add a giant drink and fries to whatever we get. Very big objects in the universe are often described as super, as well. A supergiant is one of the largest types of stars in the universe, and a supermassive black hole is the largest type of black hole.\u00a0 Good synonyms can indicate something satisfactory related to food <\/strong>or anything for the five senses.<\/p>\n

What is another synonym for ‘do good’?<\/h2>\n

When you are asked to ‘do good’ in a test or competition, most often, more is expected from you.<\/p>\n

Excellent<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Excellent is one of many related words for something that is very good. We don\u2019t always use the word excellent when we are excited, so it doesn\u2019t always need an exclamation point. We can use excellent to describe a fine wine or to describe very nice weather. In those cases, we are often calm — and good — when saying it.
\nIf we just use the word by itself, we often use an exclamation point to show enthusiasm. On the other hand, a villain might say the word excellent when their evil plan is working. In that case, they can say excellent very calmly as they rub their hands together.\u00a0Synonyms to good might be different depending on whose side you are looking.
\nLike the term good time, others might have a low opinion of it. It could mean high-quality time<\/strong>, which could be really a good time allotted for pleasant things. But if someone plays a prank on you, they are the ones having a good time. Words might have very different but related meanings.<\/p>\n

Marvelous<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Marvelous is just one word related to good which hit the top mark. When we marvel at something, we look at it with awe. You can imagine what it might be like to meet the heroes of Marvel Comics. We should use complimentary words like marvelous to similarly amazing and helpful people. In a more everyday situation, we could describe an arrangement of flowers as marvelous.
\nThis adjective is not as common as some of the others like super and excellent. Only use marvelous if you want to describe something that is extremely special to you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Superb<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Superb is super with a \u2018b\u2019 at the end. Use the adjective superb when something is of top quality<\/strong>. You can often see the word superb on food labels, especially on related things like fancy ice creams, or used to describe a performance, such as a superb ballet.\u00a0\u00a0This adjective should be at the tip of your tongue when complimenting your partner for a good meal.
\nReserve the word superb for only the best quality products, services, or experiences. Don\u2019t expect something superb to come cheap!\u00a0\u00a0Synonyms for good can earn you top points!<\/p>\n

Good is good, but which is better?<\/h2>\n

Good is good, that’s for good, yet synonyms for good mean much more. Understand what adjectives mean, not only in informal word games but to grow your store of synonyms, and be able to use each adjective accurately. You might be called a walking thesaurus but no matter what, knowing what words accurately mean is good.<\/p>\n

Wonderful<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wonderful is an adjective also used to describe something very good. You may have heard Louis Armstrong\u2019s song What a Wonderful World. Wonderful is used to describe all the beautiful things that he sees in that song.
\nOther things we might describe by the adjective wonderful include a waterfall or rainbow. They are words that both imply something beautiful and amazing. This adjective is very similar to the next words we\u2019ll look at.<\/p>\n

Splendid<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Splendid is a word for something that is good. Similar words also include magnificent and impressive. We can use splendid to describe a nice vacation or a nice person. For instance, \u201cOur trip to Venice was splendid,\u201d or \u201cMy friend Morris is a splendid fellow.\u201d It\u2019s best used for describing a related experience, such as, \u201cWe had a splendid time.\u201d
\nSplendid may not be used as much as other synonyms for good because it is reserved for special cases. However, using words like this will make you sound more sophisticated.
\n“Wow! You look\u00a0splendid<\/strong>, darling!” You should feel elated because that\u00a0means glorious, fabulous, wonderful, and\/or splendiferous. Use the adjective\u00a0splendid<\/strong>\u00a0to describe something of the highest quality.<\/p>\n

Commendable<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Among synonyms for good is commendable. Something that is commendable deserves praise. We often say that a soldier or a firefighter is commendable if they have done something brave, for example saving someone\u2019s life. If you do something commendable, you may receive a medal or an award for it. For example, you might say, \u201cThe commendable officer received an award for saving the woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Informal terms for good<\/h2>\n

Most of the words we\u2019ve looked at have fairly literal meanings. There are also many idioms that have the meaning of good, as well. Let\u2019s take a look at some of these informal idioms.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Up to Snuff<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Up to snuff is an idiom that is related to good. It means that something meets a standard. For example, you may have\u00a0seen an old building and wondered if it is safe to live or work in. Hopefully, it will be up to snuff, or the building may have to be torn down.
\nAccording to various online sources, the phrase up to snuff comes from the use of dried tobacco which people inhaled in the late 17th\u00a0century.\u00a0Although it might not sound fancy now, at the time it was a very distinguished pastime, and snuff was sold in exquisite decorative boxes.\u00a0So,\u00a0for something to be up to snuff, it had to be of a certain quality.<\/p>\n

Tip-top<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Saying that something is tip-top is another informal way to say that it is good. Tip-top refers to the highest point of something, such as a mountain. We can use tip-top in a sentence, such as saying, \u201cMy bicycle is in tip-top shape.\u201d That means that my bike is so well maintained <\/strong>that I would be ready to take it in a race.
\nIf you are in tip-top shape, then you may be ready to win some sort of athletic competition, as well. Let\u2019s take a look at one more idiom: shipshape.<\/p>\n

Shipshape<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Shipshape is an informal term very similar to tip-top and up to snuff. It means that something is in good order. If your car is running well, you could say that it is shipshape. In addition, you could describe your room as shipshape if everything is clean and organized. This informal word comes from the British fleet which required ships to be in good condition before sailing.
\nUse shipshape to describe appearance and functionality. If you\u2019re taking a cruise on a ship, make sure that your cabin is shipshape first!<\/p>\n

Well<\/strong>\u00a0or good?<\/h3>\n

Among synonyms of good is well, but it can be a little tricky. You need to remember that good is an adjective, while well is an adverb<\/strong>. For example, use good as an adjective in the sentence, \u201cHe made a good cappuccino.\u201d But use well as an adverb as in, \u201cHe made a cappuccino well.\u201d
\nGood and well also differ when we talk about health and mental state. When talking about health, use well. For example, \u201cGrandma does not feel well today.\u201d When talking about a mental state, though, use good. After winning the lottery, you might say, \u201cI feel good!\u201d
\nAnother special case with regards to good and well has to deal with senses. Consider the two sentences, \u201cThe dog smells good\u201d and \u201cThe dog smells well.\u201d Can you tell the difference in meaning? In the first sentence, the dog has a nice smell to it. Perhaps it just had a bath? In the second sentence, the dog has a good sense of smell. It can smell that you just ate meat because of the scent of your clothes.
\nSo, the use of good and well must be done with care. Mastering the difference, though, will make you sound like a real English professional. Now, let\u2019s take a look at terms that can unexpectedly be among synonyms for good<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So good it\u2019s bad<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Can two antonyms also be synonyms? That is the case for the words bad and good. Michael Jackson helped make bad good with his famous song of the same name. In this case, bad means cool. You might ask someone what they think of your new sports car, and they reply, \u201cIt\u2019s bad.\u201d You should take that as a compliment.
\nFor better or worse, using bad for good is a bit dated, so avoid using it unless you\u2019re at some 1980s-themed event. Otherwise, people may think you are older than you actually are, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation.<\/p>\n

In Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As we can see, there are a lot of different ways to say that something is good. We covered almost 20 different words and phrases that have a similar meaning to good, so by now, you should have many options to add variety to your speech. While these words are related to each other, they also have small differences. We need to be sure that we use the appropriate variety of good in the right circumstances only, otherwise, your\u00a0sentences might come out sounding awkward.
\nMastering these shades of meaning will give you a good command of the English language. You will sound not only more articulate but also more sophisticated. You might even say that your English will be so “g o o d”, it\u2019s\u00a0bad<\/em>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Good synonyms could help expand your vocabulary. Let the English Forward team share with you some.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1167,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_generate-full-width-content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[304],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}