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Meaning & use

well-endowed

adjective·Academicinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌwel ɪnˈdaʊd/
US/ˌwɛl ɪnˈdaʊd/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Supplied with plenty of money, resources or natural gifts.

    Grammar: Goes after be or before a noun; often followed by with: well-endowed with talent.

    Patterns

    • well-endowed with something

    The university is well-endowed, with a fund worth billions.

    The region is well-endowed with minerals.

    She is well-endowed with talent and energy.

  2. adjectiveafter a verbinformaleuphemistic

    A coy way of saying someone has large sexual body parts, such as large breasts or genitals.

    Grammar: Used after be, mainly in jokes and gossip; many people find it crude when applied to a real person's body.

    Patterns

    • be well-endowed

    The magazine described the actor as well-endowed, a remark many readers found crude.

    Comedians use well-endowed as a euphemism and then pretend they did not.

    It is better not to call a colleague well-endowed, because the phrase comments on their body.

Word forms

comparativebetter-endowed
superlativebest-endowed

Common combinations

well-endowed with resources
The country is well-endowed with natural resources.
well-endowed institution
A well-endowed institution can fund many scholarships.
well-endowed with talent
The squad is well-endowed with young talent.
well-endowed charity
The well-endowed charity gave away millions.

Synonyms and how they differ

wealthy
Wealthy concerns money only, whereas well-endowed can also refer to natural gifts and resources.
well-off
Well-off means having comfortable income and is more casual, but it is not used for institutions' funds or natural resources.
gifted
Gifted describes natural talent but says nothing about material supplies.

Opposites

poorill-equipped

Word family

endow verb
to give money or a quality to someone
endowment noun
a gift of money or a natural quality
endowed adjective
provided with a quality or fund
underendowed adjective
lacking enough funds or gifts

Commonly confused: well-endowed or well-heeled?

well-endowed vs well-heeled

Well-heeled means rich and wearing expensive clothes; well-endowed focuses on being supplied with resources or qualities.

Practice

Which sentence uses well-endowed in its main, non-physical sense?

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