550 Good Synonyms and Antonyms [+ Example Sentences]

The word “good” is like the plain toast of vocabulary—it gets the job done, but nobody’s excited about it.

Time to swap that stale bread for some spicy good synonyms that’ll actually impress. This guide aims to be your go-to resource for finding the perfect alternative to “good” in any context.

Good Synonyms By Category

To make navigating through these good synonyms easier, we’ve categorized them based on their specific contexts and meanings.

1. General Approval

These synonyms express a general sense of approval or agreement.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Excellent	High praise for something outstanding	The team’s performance was excellent during the championship.
Superb	Exceptional quality or skill	She did a superb job organizing the event.
Outstanding	Exceptionally good; surpassing expectations	His outstanding achievements earned him a promotion.
Wonderful	Inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration	They had a wonderful time on their vacation.
Fantastic	Extraordinarily good or attractive	The movie was fantastic, exceeding all our expectations.

2. High Quality

These synonyms highlight the superior quality of something.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Superior	Higher in quality, rank, or importance	This brand offers superior customer service.
Premium	Of the highest quality or value	They only use premium ingredients in their recipes.
First-rate	Of the best class or quality	The hotel provides first-rate accommodations and services.
Top-notch	Highest quality	Her top-notch skills make her an invaluable team member.
Prime	Of the best possible quality or value	They offer prime cuts of meat at their butcher shop.

3. Beneficial

These synonyms convey something that is advantageous or helpful.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Advantageous	Providing an advantage or benefit	Regular exercise is advantageous for your health.
Favorable	Expressing approval or support	The weather conditions are favorable for sailing.
Profitable	Yielding profit or financial gain	The new project proved to be highly profitable.
Useful	Being of use; serving a purpose	This tool is very useful for fixing appliances.
Worthwhile	Worth the time, money, or effort invested	Volunteering is a worthwhile endeavor.

4. Pleasant

These synonyms describe something that brings pleasure or satisfaction.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Delightful	Highly pleasing; charming	The garden is a delightful place to relax.
Enjoyable	Providing enjoyment or pleasure	We had an enjoyable evening at the concert.
Pleasant	Giving a sense of happy satisfaction or enjoyment	The weather today is pleasant and sunny.
Charming	Pleasantly attractive or delightful	The charming village attracted many tourists.
Lovely	Beautiful or attractive in a graceful way	She wore a lovely dress to the party.

5. Skilled

These synonyms pertain to possessing or demonstrating skill.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Proficient	Competent or skilled in doing something	He is proficient in multiple programming languages.
Expert	Having comprehensive knowledge or skill	She is an expert in digital marketing strategies.
Adept	Very skilled or proficient at something	He is adept at solving complex mathematical problems.
Talented	Having a natural aptitude or skill	The talented musician played a captivating solo.
Capable	Having the ability or qualities to perform well	She is a capable leader who inspires her team.

6. Ethical

These synonyms relate to moral goodness or integrity.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Virtuous	Having high moral standards	She is known for her virtuous character and honesty.
Righteous	Morally right or justifiable	They fought for righteous causes during the conflict.
Honorable	Deserving of respect or high regard	He is an honorable man who always keeps his promises.
Moral	Concerned with the principles of right and wrong	They strive to maintain moral standards in their business.
Upright	Strictly honorable or honest	She is an upright citizen who always does the right thing.

7. Successful

These synonyms indicate achieving desired outcomes or goals.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Triumphant	Having achieved victory or success	The triumphant team celebrated their hard-earned victory.
Flourishing	Developing rapidly and successfully	The flourishing business expanded to new markets.
Thriving	Prosperous and growing well	The thriving community is a model for others to follow.
Prosperous	Successful in material terms; flourishing	They live in a prosperous neighborhood with excellent schools.
Victorious	Having won a victory	The victorious candidate thanked her supporters.

8. Healthy

These synonyms relate to good health or wellness.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Fit	In good health, especially because of regular exercise	He stays fit by running every morning.
Robust	Strong and healthy	The robust economy recovered quickly after the recession.
Vigorous	Strong, healthy, and full of energy	She leads a vigorous lifestyle with regular workouts.
Wholesome	Conducive to or suggestive of good health	They prefer eating wholesome, organic foods.
Sound	In good condition; healthy	He is in sound health after his recent surgery.

9. Attractive

These synonyms describe something or someone pleasing to the senses.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Appealing	Attractive or interesting	The new design is very appealing to customers.
Stunning	Extremely impressive or attractive	She looked stunning in her evening gown.
Gorgeous	Beautiful; very attractive	The sunset over the mountains was absolutely gorgeous.
Alluring	Powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating	The exotic location was alluring to many travelers.
Radiant	Sending out light; shining brightly	Her radiant smile brightened everyone’s day.

10. Secure

These synonyms pertain to safety and protection.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Safe	Protected from or not exposed to danger	It’s important to keep your personal information safe online.
Protected	Kept safe from harm or injury	The wildlife reserve provides a protected habitat for animals.
Stable	Not likely to change or fail; firmly established	The stable economy reassures investors.
Reliable	Consistently good in quality or performance	She is a reliable employee who always meets her deadlines.
Assured	Confidently guaranteed	With proper planning, the project’s success is assured.

Categories of Good Antonyms

Just as it’s important to have a variety of positive expressions, knowing the antonyms of “good” can help you express the opposite sentiments effectively.

1. Disapproval

These antonyms express a negative evaluation or lack of approval.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Bad	Not good in any manner or degree	The service at the restaurant was bad.
Terrible	Extremely bad or serious	They had a terrible experience during their trip.
Awful	Very bad or unpleasant	The movie was so awful that we left early.
Dreadful	Causing fear or suffering; very bad	The conditions in the camp were dreadful.
Atrocious	Horrifyingly wicked or of extremely poor quality	The food at the new cafe was atrocious.

2. Low Quality

These antonyms highlight inferior quality or standards.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Inferior	Lower in rank, status, or quality	The materials used in the product are inferior.
Substandard	Below the usual or required standard	The building was condemned due to substandard construction.
Mediocre	Of only average quality; not very good	His performance in the competition was mediocre.
Shoddy	Badly made or done	They returned the shoddy jacket after the first wear.
Deficient	Not having enough of a specified quality or ingredient	The report was deficient in accurate data.

3. Detrimental

These antonyms convey something harmful or damaging.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Harmful	Causing or capable of causing damage or injury	Smoking is harmful to your health.
Detrimental	Tending to cause harm	Excessive use of smartphones can be detrimental to eyesight.
Adverse	Preventing success or development; harmful	They faced adverse weather conditions during the expedition.
Damaging	Causing damage or harm	The scandal was damaging to his reputation.
Negative	Consisting in or characterized by the absence of good	The negative feedback discouraged the team.

4. Unpleasant

These antonyms describe something that causes discomfort or displeasure.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Unpleasant	Causing discomfort or unhappiness	The smell in the room was unpleasant.
Disagreeable	Not to one’s taste; distasteful	He found the conversation with his boss disagreeable.
Offensive	Causing someone to feel deeply hurt or upset	The comedian’s joke was offensive to many audience members.
Repulsive	Arousing intense distaste or disgust	The sight of the spoiled food was repulsive.
Nasty	Highly unpleasant, especially to the senses	She had a nasty headache that wouldn’t go away.

5. Incompetent

These antonyms relate to a lack of skill or ability.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Inept	Having or showing no skill; clumsy	His inept handling of the situation made things worse.
Unskilled	Not having or requiring skill	The job requires more than unskilled labor.
Inadequate	Lacking the quality or quantity required	The report was inadequate for making informed decisions.
Bungling	Carrying out a task clumsily or incompetently	The bungling of the project led to significant delays.
Clumsy	Awkward in movement or handling	His clumsy attempt to fix the computer only caused more issues.

6. Unethical

These antonyms pertain to lack of moral principles.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Immoral	Not conforming to accepted standards of morality	Engaging in fraud is considered immoral.
Corrupt	Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly	The politician was exposed for his corrupt dealings.
Dishonest	Not truthful or fair	She was dishonest about her qualifications.
Deceitful	Guilty of or involving deceit; deceiving	His deceitful tactics undermined the team’s trust.
Unprincipled	Not acting in accordance with moral principles	The unprincipled business practices led to his downfall.

7. Unsuccessful

These antonyms indicate failure to achieve desired outcomes.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Failed	Not achieving the desired outcome	The project failed due to lack of funding.
Fruitless	Failing to achieve the desired results	Their efforts to negotiate were fruitless.
Ineffective	Not producing the desired effect	The medication was ineffective in treating the symptoms.
Abortive	Failing to produce the intended result	The abortive attempt to climb the mountain ended in rescue.
Bust	A failure or collapse	The new product launch was a bust and didn’t sell well.

8. Unhealthy

These antonyms relate to poor health or well-being.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Sick	Affected by physical or mental illness	He was too sick to attend the meeting.
Unfit	Not in good health; unsuitable	The diet plan was unfit for his nutritional needs.
Ailing	In poor health; suffering	The ailing patient was moved to a specialist hospital.
Diseased	Affected by disease	The plants are diseased and need immediate attention.
Frail	Weak and delicate	After the accident, she became frail and needed assistance.

9. Unattractive

These antonyms describe something or someone not pleasing to the senses.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Unappealing	Not attractive or interesting	The new design was unappealing to the target audience.
Ugly	Unpleasant to look at; unattractive	The building’s exterior was ugly and outdated.
Repellent	Arousing intense distaste or disgust	The repellent odor made it difficult to stay in the room.
Homely	Unattractive in appearance	Despite being homely, her personality was charming.
Hideous	Extremely ugly or unpleasant	The hideous graffiti ruined the once-beautiful wall.

10. Insecure

These antonyms pertain to a lack of safety or stability.

Word	Context	Example Sentence
Unsafe	Not safe; dangerous	The old bridge is unsafe and needs repair.
Vulnerable	Susceptible to physical or emotional harm	Without proper measures, the data is vulnerable to breaches.
Unstable	Prone to change, fail, or give way; not stable	The political situation remains unstable.
Precarious	Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse	The precarious ladder posed a safety risk.
Insecure	Not confident or assured; uncertain and anxious	He felt insecure about his job performance.

A-Z Good Synonyms

This A-Z approach ensures you have a diverse array of words at your disposal, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Below, you’ll find good synonyms categorized from A to Z, each presented in a simple numbered list for easy reference.

A

1. Admirable
2. Amiable
3. Agreeable
4. Affable
5. Ample
6. Adept
7. Authentic
8. Accurate
9. Accessible
10. Appropriate

B

1. Beneficial
2. Brilliant
3. Benevolent
4. Balanced
5. Blissful
6. Bountiful
7. Bright
8. Buoyant
9. Beautiful
10. Blessed

C

1. Commendable
2. Courteous
3. Credible
4. Consistent
5. Constructive
6. Charismatic
7. Comfortable
8. Capable
9. Classy
10. Conscientious

D

1. Desirable
2. Dependable
3. Dynamic
4. Dazzling
5. Decent
6. Diligent
7. Distinctive
8. Delightful
9. Dedicated
10. Developed

E

1. Exceptional
2. Elegant
3. Eminent
4. Efficient
5. Enthusiastic
6. Empathetic
7. Eager
8. Endearing
9. Energetic
10. Esteemed

F

1. Fine
2. Fair
3. Favorable
4. Fulfilling
5. Faithful
6. Flexible
7. Fabulous
8. Fortunate
9. Friendly
10. Flourishing

G

1. Great
2. Generous
3. Gracious
4. Gallant
5. Glorious
6. Gifted
7. Genuine
8. Graceful
9. Grounded
10. Gleaming

H

1. Hearty
2. Honest
3. Helpful
4. Heroic
5. Harmonious
6. Healthy
7. Hopeful
8. Hospitable
9. Humble
10. Humorous

I

1. Impressive
2. Inspirational
3. Ideal
4. Innovative
5. Insightful
6. Intelligent
7. Invigorating
8. Integrity
9. Inclusive
10. Influential

J

1. Joyful
2. Just
3. Jubilant
4. Juvenile
5. Jolly
6. Judicious
7. Jaunty
8. Jazzed
9. Judgment-free
10. Joint

K

1. Kind
2. Keen
3. Knowledgeable
4. Kempt
5. Kosher
6. Knightly
7. Kingly
8. Kindhearted
9. Kooky
10. Keen-eyed

L

1. Lovely
2. Lively
3. Likable
4. Luminous
5. Logical
6. Luxurious
7. Leader
8. Lighthearted
9. Laudable
10. Legendary

M

1. Marvelous
2. Magnificent
3. Merciful
4. Mindful
5. Meticulous
6. Majestic
7. Motivated
8. Meaningful
9. Masterful
10. Memorable

N

1. Nice
2. Noble
3. Neat
4. Nurturing
5. Notable
6. Natural
7. Nutritious
8. Navigable
9. Nonpareil
10. Nuanced

O

1. Outstanding
2. Optimistic
3. Opulent
4. Orderly
5. Original
6. Obliging
7. Obvious
8. Omniscient
9. Omnipotent
10. Open-minded

P

1. Positive
2. Pleasant
3. Prudent
4. Powerful
5. Patient
6. Productive
7. Polished
8. Passionate
9. Peaceful
10. Perceptive

Q

1. Quality
2. Quick
3. Quintessential
4. Quiet
5. Quirky
6. Qualified
7. Quenched
8. Quaint
9. Quicken
10. Quotable

R

1. Remarkable
2. Reliable
3. Radiant
4. Respectable
5. Resourceful
6. Resilient
7. Refreshing
8. Robust
9. Rewarding
10. Righteous

S

1. Splendid
2. Superb
3. Solid
4. Stellar
5. Spectacular
6. Skillful
7. Sincere
8. Satisfying
9. Sophisticated
10. Secure

T

1. Terrific
2. Trusted
3. Thoughtful
4. Thriving
5. Talented
6. Tenacious
7. Triumphant
8. Tremendous
9. Transparent
10. Timely

U

1. Uplifting
2. Unique
3. Unblemished
4. Unwavering
5. Understanding
6. Untarnished
7. Unmatched
8. Useful
9. Undefeated
10. Unison

V

1. Valuable
2. Vibrant
3. Virtuous
4. Vigorous
5. Visionary
6. Versatile
7. Victorious
8. Vital
9. Venerable
10. Vivid

W

1. Wonderful
2. Wise
3. Warm
4. Welcoming
5. Wholesome
6. Witty
7. Winning
8. Wellness
9. Well-regarded
10. Wellness-oriented

X

1. Xenial (hospitable, especially to strangers)
2. Xeric (able to withstand dry conditions, metaphorically resilient)
3. Xenodochial (friendly to strangers)
4. Xenial-friendly
5. X-factor
6. Xenogenetic (unique, originating from a different place)
7. Xenodochial-hosting
8. Xenophilic (attracted to foreign things)
9. Xenial-service
10. Xenial-attitude

(Note: The letters “X-Z” have limited synonyms directly equivalent to “good.” Some entries may be more metaphorical or context-specific.)

Y

1. Youthful
2. Yielding
3. Yare (ready or prepared)
4. Yearning (expressing desire)
5. Yummy
6. Yarely
7. Yonder (at some distance, but can imply vastness)
8. Young-at-heart
9. Yen (desire or craving, context-dependent)
10. Yarefulness

Z

1. Zealous
2. Zestful
3. Zany
4. Zenith (peak or highest point)
5. Zesty
6. Zodiac-friendly
7. Zonked (slang for excellent in some contexts)
8. Zingy
9. Zooming
10. Zestfulness

Check out this video about good synonyms:

Good Antonyms (Alphabetical)

Below is an A-Z list of antonyms or opposite words to complement the list of good synonyms.

Where I thought it would be helpful, I added some contextual information about the words. Like some of the good synonyms, there are metaphorical examples.

A

1. Abominable
2. Awful
3. Appalling
4. Atrocious
5. Adverse
6. Ailing
7. Abysmal
8. Abject
9. Abhorrent
10. Alarming

B

1. Bad
2. Beastly
3. Blemished
4. Bitter
5. Blighted
6. Broken
7. Brutal
8. Botched
9. Baseless
10. Backward

C

1. Corrupt
2. Cruel
3. Callous
4. Counterproductive
5. Chaotic
6. Contaminated
7. Crooked
8. Crummy
9. Clumsy
10. Careless

D

1. Deficient
2. Dreadful
3. Damaging
4. Defective
5. Detrimental
6. Disastrous
7. Distressing
8. Deplorable
9. Dishonest
10. Disagreeable

E

1. Evil
2. Erroneous
3. Excessive
4. Egotistical
5. Embarrassing
6. Exhausting
7. Exasperating
8. Exploitive
9. Empty
10. Enraging

F

1. Faulty
2. Foul
3. Feeble
4. Fragile
5. Flawed
6. Frustrating
7. Frivolous
8. Filthy
9. Fatal
10. Futile

G

1. Grim
2. Gross
3. Guilty
4. Grievous
5. Gloomy
6. Grimy
7. Garish
8. Grating
9. Gaudy
10. Ghastly

H

1. Harmful
2. Horrible
3. Hopeless
4. Hurtful
5. Hateful
6. Horrendous
7. Hazardous
8. Heinous
9. Hostile
10. Harsh

I

1. Inept
2. Inferior
3. Inadequate
4. Incompetent
5. Immoral
6. Indecent
7. Insidious
8. Irritating
9. Insensitive
10. Imperfect

J

1. Jealous
2. Jaded
3. Jarring
4. Joyless
5. Junky
6. Judgmental
7. Jumbled
8. Jagged
9. Jerky
10. Jinxed

K

1. Knavish
2. Killer
3. Kooky
4. Knotted
5. Kurt
6. Keen-less (lacking sharpness or eagerness)
7. Kryptic (hidden or mysterious in a negative sense)
8. Kiss-off (rejection or dismissal)
9. Knotty
10. Krazy

L

1. Lousy
2. Lethal
3. Lackluster
4. Lazy
5. Ludicrous
6. Loathsome
7. Lifeless
8. Limp
9. Lousy
10. Limited

M

1. Miserable
2. Malicious
3. Mean
4. Mediocre
5. Misleading
6. Malevolent
7. Malignant
8. Murky
9. Messy
10. Morbid

N

1. Nasty
2. Nefarious
3. Negligent
4. Noxious
5. Nuisance
6. Nauseating
7. Notorious
8. Nonfunctional
9. Negligible
10. Nightmarish

O

1. Offensive
2. Obnoxious
3. Outrageous
4. Oppressive
5. Odious
6. Overbearing
7. Ominous
8. Off-putting
9. Overrated
10. Overwhelming

P

1. Poor
2. Pathetic
3. Pitiful
4. Painful
5. Perverse
6. Perilous
7. Poisonous
8. Problematic
9. Putrid
10. Pernicious

Q

1. Questionable
2. Quarrelsome
3. Quicksand-like (unstable or dangerous)
4. Quixotic (idealistic but impractical in a negative way)
5. Queasy
6. Quaint-less (without charm or attractiveness)
7. Quagmire
8. Quellable (easily suppressed, in a negative sense)
9. Quirky (in an unsettling way)
10. Quiescent (inactive in a harmful way)

R

1. Rotten
2. Rancid
3. Reckless
4. Rude
5. Regrettable
6. Ruthless
7. Repulsive
8. Ragged
9. Repellent
10. Ravaging

S

1. Sinister
2. Shoddy
3. Sickly
4. Shameful
5. Spiteful
6. Subpar
7. Scornful
8. Sloppy
9. Stagnant
10. Savage

T

1. Terrible
2. Toxic
3. Tacky
4. Tragic
5. Tawdry
6. Tedious
7. Threatening
8. Tenuous
9. Troublesome
10. Torrid

U

1. Unpleasant
2. Ugly
3. Unbearable
4. Unkind
5. Unforgivable
6. Untrustworthy
7. Unjust
8. Undesirable
9. Unhealthy
10. Useless

V

1. Vile
2. Vicious
3. Vulgar
4. Villainous
5. Volatile
6. Venomous
7. Vindictive
8. Vacuous
9. Vexing
10. Vengeful

W

1. Worthless
2. Wicked
3. Wretched
4. Weak
5. Wasteful
6. Wobbly
7. Waning
8. Woeful
9. Wanton
10. Warped

X

1. Xenophobic
2. X-rated
3. Xenogeny (originating from something harmful)
4. Xeroxed (in a negative context, implying fake or copied)
5. Xerophytic (deprived, barren)
6. Xenial-less (lacking hospitality)
7. Xenolithic (foreign and disruptive)
8. Xanthous (sallow or yellowish in an unhealthy way)
9. Xerotic (dry and shriveled)
10. Xiphoid (pointed and dangerous)

Y

1. Yucky
2. Yellow-bellied
3. Yawning (boring, tedious)
4. Yielding (in a negative sense, giving up too easily)
5. Yearning (unsatisfied longing)
6. Yowling (annoying, loud)
7. Yammering (talking loudly in an irritating way)
8. Yoked (burdened, restricted)
9. Yelping (sharp and unpleasant)
10. Yucky-smelling

Z

1. Zero
2. Zany (in a chaotic, bad way)
3. Zapped (completely drained of energy)
4. Zealot (excessively fanatical in a bad way)
5. Zigzagging (unsteady and chaotic)
6. Zoneless (lacking structure)
7. Zapped-out (worn out)
8. Zombie-like (lifeless and dull)
9. Zesty-less (lacking energy or enthusiasm)
10. Zapped-down (destroyed or depleted)

How to Use These Good Synonyms

I thought I’d add this section on how to use these good synonyms for writers, language learners, and teachers.

Writers

For writers, using synonyms for “good” can elevate your writing by adding variety and depth to your language.

Instead of relying on “good” repeatedly, you can choose more precise words to match the tone and context of your content.

For instance:

• Creative Writing: Use splendid, exceptional, or magnificent to create vivid imagery in your descriptions.
• Professional Writing: Incorporate words like reliable, efficient, or dependable to convey professionalism in reports, emails, or business proposals.

By expanding your vocabulary, your writing will feel more polished and engaging, keeping your readers hooked with fresh and compelling word choices.

Language Learners

For language learners, mastering synonyms for “good” helps build a richer vocabulary and improves your ability to express more nuanced ideas.

Instead of always saying something is “good,” practice using alternatives like delightful, admirable, or fantastic.

This will:

• Boost your fluency by offering multiple ways to express positive thoughts.
• Help you understand context better, as different synonyms for “good” can carry varying connotations.
• Increase your confidence in conversation by giving you a broader range of words to choose from.

You can practice by creating sentences using each synonym, or by applying them in your everyday conversations to reinforce the meaning.

Teachers

For teachers, synonyms of “good” provide an excellent resource for expanding students’ vocabulary and encouraging more diverse language use in writing and speaking assignments.

You can:

• Create vocabulary exercises or quizzes that challenge students to replace “good” with more specific synonyms.
• Encourage students to use words like outstanding, remarkable, or superb in their writing to help them understand nuances in language.
• Help students express themselves more effectively by teaching them to pick the best synonym based on context.

Final Thoughts: Good Synonyms and Antonyms

These good synonyms are just the beginning of your language journey.

Check out our other comprehensive guide to words and writing below. I think you’ll love them.

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