well-to-do

adjective

ˌwel-tə-ˈdü How to pronounce well-to-do (audio)
Synonyms of well-to-donext
: having more than adequate financial resources : prosperous
a well-to-do family

Synonyms of well-to-do

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of well-to-do in a Sentence

a doctor who is now quite well-to-do as a result of his successful medical practice
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Due to Western sanctions, only a few international carriers still fly in and out of Moscow, including Turkish Airlines and Emirates, which many well-to-do Russians use to reach hubs in Istanbul and Dubai. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026 She is sent to live with her well-to-do grandmother (Anna Chancellor), who hopes to teach her how to be a lady and bag a husband. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026 The associated Wall Street boom has bolstered stock portfolios, spurring spending by the well-to-do, which is also increasing demand. — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026 The thing about a bubble, however, is that there’s always something pushing from the outside—in this case, well-to-do parents. — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for well-to-do

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of well-to-do was in 1794

Rhymes for well-to-do

See All Rhymes for well-to-do

Browse Nearby Words

well-timed
well-to-do
well-to-live
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-to-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/well-to-do. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

well-to-do

adjective
ˌwel-tə-ˈdü
: having plenty of money and possessions : prosperous
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All