bally good - Glite Dictionary

Examples

That was a bally good meal!
That was a bally good suggestion, old chap!
Everyone agreed it was a bally good party last night.
This movie is bally good fun!
Everyone agreed it was a bally good party last night.
He did a bally good job fixing the car, if you ask me.
That was a bally good suggestion, old chap!

Synonyms

not bad

vsbally good

Informal

938 3.0

Better than expected and quite good

is more openly enthusiastic and used to show clear approval

good

vsbally good

Informal

927 7.9

Used informally to mean completely or very much

is more of a mild excited approval than general quality

swell

vsbally good

Archaic

98 7.3

Very good and enjoyable

is a modern mild enthusiastic intensifier rather than old fashioned praise

mean

vsbally good

Slang

71 7.5

Very good and impressive at a skill

is like this but generally more mild and approving

hunky-dory

vsbally good

Informal

13 7.9

In a good state without any problems

is more positively enthusiastic and signals definite approval

super-duper

vsbally good

Informal

11 7.9

Very good and impressive

is the same enthusiastic approval but usually milder and adult

just peachy

vsbally good

Informal

9 8.8

To say that something is very good or pleasant, often in a sarcastic way to mean the opposite

is sincere praise when not used sarcastically and expresses mild enthusiasm

cracking

vsbally good

UK

4 8.4

Very good and enjoyable

is the same praise but usually slightly less energetic

brill

vsbally good

Slang

3 9.3

Very good and pleasing to people

is milder and often less excited in tone

marvy

vsbally good

Archaic

1 9.9

Very good or excellent

is similar but tends to be milder and more common

dilly

vsbally good

Archaic

1 9.0

Very good and impressive

is similar but more commonly used as a mild compliment

corking

vsbally good

Archaic

1 8.6

Very good and enjoyable

is similar but used more mildly as an approving intensifier

Antonyms

poor

555 1.0

Not good enough in quality or amount

mediocre

94 4.8

Only average in quality and not very good

How Good

superb

111 3.5

excellent

∞ 1.0

bally good

Archaic

8.3

good

∞ 1.0

decent

526 2.3

Surface Forms

bally good positive

Morphology

bally + good

Bally is an intensifying adjective, so when combined with 'good' the meaning is predictably 'very good' or 'excellent'. The intensifier + adjective composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so despite its colloquial British flavor the overall meaning is transparent to a learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Bally good comes from a softer form of the old rude word 'bloody' — people started using bally instead to be polite, so the extra word simply strengthens good. So, bally good is a mild way to say 'very good' or excellent.