- performed accurately and diligently; executed with skill and efficiency.
- (of meat) thoroughly cooked, especially until all redness is gone.
Origin of well-done
Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for well-done
The Mystery of Edwin Drood was a clever, well-done entertainment.Who’ll Win a 2013 Tony Award—and Who Deserves To
June 6, 2013
For every well-done and lavish musical number, there have been countless appalling elements each week.NBC’s ‘Smash’: Weak Writing, Terrible Characters, and Painful Subplots
March 26, 2012
In food, there are some factual things—you wouldn't call a well-done steak “steak tartare.”Confessions of a Mad Scientist
August 18, 2009
"Be careful you don't get 'well-done', Roy," advised Billy Carew.The Boy from the Ranch
Frank V. Webster
The friend hugged his knees and enjoyed it like a well-done play.Foes
Mutton, ten minutes to the pound for rare; fifteen for well-done.The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking
What's the Feast of Bairam beside the Derby-day, or your confounded coloring beside a well-done cutlet?
This was the one good action Shaibq Khn did in the world; it was well-done truly!The Bbur-nma in English
Babur, Emperor of Hindustan
- (of food, esp meat) cooked thoroughly
- made or accomplished satisfactorily
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for well-done
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper