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Following on from this question about "badly" is there a word that means the opposite?

For example:

How did the recent Mardi Gras affect tourism in Sydney?

Answer?

  • "Goodly"? Hardly.

  • "Positively"? That is really the opposite of "negatively", and doesn't convey quite the right idea.

  • "Well"? That isn't quite the opposite of badly.

Another example:

How did your girlfriend take it when you broke off the relationship?

  • A. Badly
  • B. er?

you should expand on when it [well] doesn't work for you

Well ...

If I reply to a question with "well", then it sounds like a "filler" rather than an answer.

How did your day go?

Me: Well

Everyone looks at me expectantly ...

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    In most cases well is almost exactly opposite, so you should expand on when it doesn't work for you. Commented Mar 6, 2017 at 7:39
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    'favourably' will do! Commented Mar 6, 2017 at 7:53
  • In your second example, 'well' is adequate, though 'surprisingly well' or 'distressingly well' might be considered more informative replies. In your first example, 'badly' is an emphasiser and 'affect' carries some of the negative load; perhaps for this reason, 'affect X well' doesn't work. You could use a rephrasing such as 'It's had a really positive effect'. Commented Mar 6, 2017 at 7:59
  • @mahmud koya 'Favourably' is certainly spot on in OP's first example, but doesn't work well in his second. Commented Mar 6, 2017 at 8:07
  • @mahmudkoya - This isn't a bad answer. I responded favourably to it. Perhaps make it an actual answer. Comments are not for answering the question. ;) Commented Mar 6, 2017 at 8:21

2 Answers 2

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favourably adverb

1 With approval.

‘the audience responded very favourably’

2 To the advantage of someone or something.

‘the deal will work out favourably for the company’

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Depending on the context, a one word antonym could be well, or satisfactorily, or competently, or successfully.

As for the girlfriend, hmmm, she took it euphorically.

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  • Maybe there was euphoria on both sides? ;) Commented Mar 6, 2017 at 8:24

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