Meaning & use
well suited
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Meanings
adjectiveafter a verb
Right or appropriate for a particular purpose, task or situation.
Grammar: Usually follows be, seem or look and takes to or for: she is well suited to the job.
Patterns
- well suited to something
- well suited for something
- well suited to doing something
This jacket is well suited to cold, wet weather.
He is well suited for a job that involves meeting people.
The wide, flat field is well suited to a school sports day.
adjectivecomparable
Matching each other in personality or tastes, so that a relationship is likely to work.
Grammar: Often describes two people: they are well suited, or a well-suited pair.
Patterns
- well suited to each other
- a well-suited couple
The two partners are well suited and rarely argue.
They turned out to be well suited to each other.
Everyone said they were a well-suited couple.
Word forms
| comparative | better suited |
|---|---|
| superlative | best suited |
Common combinations
- well suited to the task
- His patience makes him well suited to the task.
- well suited for the role
- She is well suited for the role of manager.
- ideally well suited
- The climate is ideally well suited to growing grapes.
- well suited to each other
- The couple were well suited to each other.
- particularly well suited
- This laptop is particularly well suited to students.
Synonyms and how they differ
- appropriate
- Appropriate suggests something is right for an occasion, while well suited suggests a natural fit with a person or purpose.
- fitting
- Fitting is a little more formal and often comes before a noun, whereas well suited often follows a verb.
- cut out for
- Cut out for is an informal idiom that always needs for, while well suited is neutral.
- compatible
- Compatible is used for people or things that can work together without conflict, while well suited is about being right for a role or purpose.
Opposites
Word family
- suit verb
- to be right or convenient for someone
- suitable adjective
- right for a purpose or occasion
- suitability noun
- the quality of being right for something
- unsuited adjective
- not right for a purpose
- ill-suited adjective
- badly matched to something
Commonly confused: well suited or well-dressed?
well suited vs well-dressed
Well-dressed describes someone wearing smart clothes. Well suited is about being a good fit, and does not refer to clothing.
Practice
Her calm nature makes her well suited ______ working in a hospital.
Choose one answer.
Well suited takes to (or for) before the thing it fits. At, with and by do not combine with suited in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “well suited”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.