for good and all
1
5.3
- idiom
- Informal
:
para siempre
- We need to resolve this issue for good and all so we can move forward.
Examples
-
And end my nightmare for good and all.
-
You would have been rid of me for good and all.
-
And there it stayed until I finally opened my eyes for good and all and said, "Yes."
Fiction book (1998) -
Doc, this finishes you and me for good and all.
-
Let me tell you, for months the matter never comes into your head and you think you'll finish with it for good and all.
-
By now, though, with Rita Antone bedridden and being lovingly cared for by both her Indian and Anglo families, the reservation naysayers and gossips had been silenced for good and all.
Fiction book (2000) -
After years of debating, they finally decided to end the project for good and all.
-
Once the changes are implemented, we will no longer revisit this topic for good and all.
Synonyms
237
2.8
Forever, not coming back to how things were before
218
2.9
Stays the same for all time
179
3.9
To end a problem completely so it never happens again
8
6.8
Always from now on
Antonyms
How Permanent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'permanently' is only partially derivable: 'for good' is a common idiomatic unit meaning 'permanently', while 'and all' serves as an emphatic/reinforcing addition. A B1 learner who only knows the literal meanings ('for' purpose/duration, 'good' positive/beneficial, 'all' entirety) may not reliably infer permanence without prior exposure, though cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g. pour de bon, para siempre) make the idea somewhat accessible.
Etymology
For good and all may come from the simple idea of calling something finally good and complete, with all added to make it extra final, like closing a book and never opening it again. That's why it means 'permanently' or 'once and for all'.