good

pronunciation

How to pronounce good in British English: UK [ɡʊd] word uk audio image

How to pronounce good in American English: US [ɡʊd] word us audio image

Noun:

benefit
moral excellence or admirableness
that which is good or valuable or useful
Adjective:

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
having the normally expected amount
morally admirable
deserving of esteem and respect
promoting or enhancing well-being
superior to the average
agreeable or pleasing
of moral excellence
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
thorough
with or in a close or intimate relationship
having or showing or arising from a desire to promote the welfare or happiness of others
financially sound
most suitable or right for a particular purpose
resulting favorably
exerting force or influence
feeling healthy and free of aches and pains
capable of pleasing
appealing to the mind
in excellent physical condition
tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health
not forged
not left to spoil
generally admired
Adverb:

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (`good' is a nonstandard dialectal variant for `well')
in a complete and thorough manner (`good' is sometimes used informally for `thoroughly')

Word Origin

good: good: [OE] Good is such a general, all-embracing word for anything regarded in a positive light that it perhaps comes as something of a surprise that it is not an ancient primary term distributed throughout the Indo-European languages. It is a strictly Germanic word (German has gut, Dutch goed, and Swedish and Danish god), and it goes back to prehistoric Germanic *gath- ‘bring together’ (source of English gather and together); the progression of senses appears to be ‘brought together, united’, ‘fitting, suitable’, ‘pleasing’, and ‘good’. See also BEST.=> gather, together

good (adj.): Old English god (with a long "o") "excellent, fine; valuable; desirable, favorable, beneficial; full, entire, complete;" of abstractions, actions, etc., "beneficial, effective; righteous, pious;" of persons or souls, "righteous, pious, virtuous;" probably originally "having the right or desirable quality," from Proto-Germanic *godaz "fitting, suitable" (cognates: Old Norse goðr, Dutch goed, Old High German guot, German gut, Gothic goþs), originally "fit, adequate, belonging together," from PIE root *ghedh- "to unite, be associated, suitable" (cognates: Old Church Slavonic godu "pleasing time," Russian godnyi "fit, suitable," Old English gædrian "to gather, to take up together"). Irregular comparative and superlative (better, best) reflect a widespread pattern in words for "good," as in Latin bonus, melior, optimus. Sense of "kind, benevolent" is from late Old English in reference to persons or God, from mid-14c. of actions. That of "friendly, gracious" is from c. 1200. Meaning "fortunate, prosperous, favorable" was in late Old English. As an expression of satisfaction, from early 15c. Of persons, "skilled (at a profession or occupation), expert," in late Old English, now typically with at; in Middle English with of or to. Of children, "well-behaved," by 1690s. Of money, "not debased, standard as to value," from late 14c. From c. 1200 of numbers or quantities, "large, great," of time or distance, "long;" good while "a considerable time" is from c. 1300; good way "a great distance" is mid-15c. Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing. ["As You Like It"] As good as "practically, virtually" is from mid-14c.; to be good for "beneficial to" is from late 14c. To make good "repay (costs, expenses), atone for (a sin or an offense)" is from late 14c. To have a good mind "have an earnest desire" (to do something) is from c. 1500. Good deed, good works were in Old English as "an act of piety;" good deed specifically as "act of service to others" was reinforced early 20c. by Boy Scouting. Good turn is from c. 1400. Good sport, of persons, is from 1906. The good book "the Bible" attested from 1801, originally in missionary literature describing the language of conversion efforts in American Indian tribes. Good to go is attested from 1989.

good (n.): Old English god (with a long "o"), "that which is good, a good thing; goodness; advantage, benefit; gift; virtue; property;" from good (adj.). Meaning "the good side" (of something) is from 1660s. Phrase for good "finally, permanently" attested from 1711, a shortening of for good and all (16c.). Middle English had for good ne ylle (early 15c.) "for good nor ill," thus "under any circumstance."