very well

very well — idiom

1. used to express agreement or acceptance of a request, order, or suggestion, ofte

1.慣用語A2
釋義

used to express agreement or acceptance of a request, order, or suggestion, often with a tone of slight reluctance or after a moment of hesitation.

例句

"Very well," said Valentina with a sigh, "I will clean the kitchen before dinner."

phrase for reluctant agreement after a sigh or pause

Dr. Okafor paused, then nodded. "Very well, you may leave early tomorrow."

phrase used after consideration or a pause

同義詞
  • all right

    less formal, more neutral in tone

  • OK

    informal, everyday use

  • fine

    casual, sometimes implies mild reluctance

反義詞
  • no

    direct refusal without agreement

  • certainly not

    emphatic refusal, more formal

用法筆記

Often carries a tone of slight reluctance or formality. The speaker typically accepts a request or command rather than enthusiastically agreeing. Common in narrative contexts with 'sighing', 'pausing', or 'nodding' preceding the phrase.

常見錯誤

❌Very well, I'd love to come to your party!
✅Sure, I'd love to come to your party!
💡'Very well' sounds too formal and reluctant for an enthusiastic invitation acceptance.

2. in a satisfactory or acceptable way that meets a basic standard, though not nece

2.慣用語B1
釋義

in a satisfactory or acceptable way that meets a basic standard, though not necessarily with outstanding or exceptional results.

例句

Eve did very well on her final exams despite having a bad cold.

collocation: 'do very well' for performance

The old car still runs very well even after fifteen years of daily use.

同義詞
  • well

    shorter, same general meaning, less emphatic

  • satisfactorily

    more formal, focuses on meeting requirements

  • adequately

    suggests meeting a minimum standard, less warm

反義詞
  • badly

    opposite meaning, poor performance

  • poorly

    stronger opposite, below acceptable standard

用法筆記

Frequently appears after verbs such as 'do', 'work', 'go', 'run', 'behave', 'play', and 'speak'. This sense describes solid but not necessarily top-level performance. For outstanding results, use 'extremely well' or 'remarkably well' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The team played very well and won the championship 10-0.
✅The team played very well and finished third in the league.
💡'Very well' suggests good but not dominant performance; use 'brilliantly' or 'outstandingly' for exceptional results.