well done
- adjective
- /wɛl dʌn/
- Hey, OK, well done to Simon for winning.
- a job well done
And I think that work well done provides dividends forever.
- And I think that work well done provides dividends forever.
- Yeah, because I'm afraid of like that's a well done burger is disgusting.
- And I'll tell you, that piece of film is an incredibly well done story front to back.
- It's classy, well done, mature, artistic and just brilliant.
- It was so well done and he was so you know how Chuckies funny.
- And I it's, it's very well done.
- So if it is well done, but that's a pet peeve.
- Not quite well done yet, but definitely curious.
- And it's so intense and so beautiful and so well done about him talking about the streets.
Examples
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There will be drinks after work at the downtown Marriott, a toast to a job well done.
Fiction book (1997) -
He received a certificate for a job well done after completing the project ahead of schedule.
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Well done, sir, well done, excellent!
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Very, very well done, my little friend.
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I learned early on in my career that a job well done has three critical parts.
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And he stood with them to ensure the work was well done.
Fiction book (1997) -
That was very well done, Cole.
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Thanks to Nese and her capable judges for a job well done.
Academic text (2004) -
The chef received praise for his steak, which was cooked well done and free of any pinkness.
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Her presentation was well done, impressing everyone with its clarity and depth.
Synonyms
Cooked all the way through and ready to eat
Food that is prepared exactly right has the best taste and texture
Antonyms
How Thorough
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'well' (in a good/complete manner) modifies 'done' (completed or cooked), so a learner who knows both words can infer 'done to a high standard' or 'cooked thoroughly.' This adverb + past-participle pattern is common across languages (e.g. Spanish 'bien hecho') and follows standard English grammar, making it transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
Well done comes from the simple idea of doing something completely and in a good way: well = completely, done = finished. In cooking this meant meat was cooked all the way through, and by extension people say well done to mean 'to a high standard' or 'good job'.