Definition of all right adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

all right

adjective, adverb

/ɔːl ˈraɪt/

(also non-standard or informal alright)

Idioms

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acceptable; in an acceptable manner synonym OK
- Is the coffee all right?
- Are you getting along all right in your new job?
- ‘They're off to Spain next week.’ ‘It's all right for some, isn't it?’ (= some people are lucky)
- ‘How was your trip?’ ‘All right.’
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safe and well synonym OK
- I hope the children are all right.
- Do you feel all right?
Synonyms well
wellall right ▪ OK ▪ fine ▪ healthy ▪ strong ▪ fitThese words all describe somebody who is not ill and is in good health.
well [not usually before noun] (rather informal) in good health:
I’m not feeling very well.
Is he well enough to travel?
Well is used especially to talk about your own health, to ask somebody about their health or to make a comment on it.all right [not before noun] (rather informal) not feeling ill; not injured:
Are you feeling all right?
OK [not before noun] (informal) not feeling ill; not injured:
She says she’s OK now, and will be back at work tomorrow.
all right or ok?These words are slightly less positive than the other words in this group. They are both used in spoken English to talk about not actually being ill or injured, rather than being positively in good health. Both are rather informal but OK is slightly more informal than all right.
fine [not before noun] (not used in negative statements) (rather informal) completely well:
‘How are you?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’
Fine is used especially to talk about your health, especially when somebody asks you how you are. It is also used to talk about somebody’s health when you are talking to somebody else. Unlike well it is not often used to ask somebody about their health or make a comment on it: Are you keeping fine? healthy in good health and not likely to become ill:
Keep healthy by exercising regularly.
strong in good health and not suffering from an illness:
After a few weeks she was feeling stronger.
Strong is often used to talk about becoming healthy again after an illness.fit (especially British English) in good physical health, especially because you take regular physical exercise:
I go swimming every day in order to keep fit.
Patterns
- all right/OK/fit for something
- all right/OK/fit to do something
- to feel/look well/all right/OK/fine/healthy/strong/fit
- to keep (somebody) well/healthy/fit
- perfectly well/all right/OK/fine/healthy/fit
- physically well/healthy/strong/fit
Extra Examples
- Give him some water and he'll soon be all right.
- I'm all right now.
- I'm quite all right now, thanks.
- He'll be perfectly all right, you'll see.
- Did they get there all right?
only just good enough synonym OK
- Your work is all right but I'm sure you could do better.
that can be allowed synonym OK
- Are you sure it's all right for me to leave early?
Topics Permission and obligationa2
(informal) used to emphasize that there is no doubt about something
- ‘Are you sure it's her?’ ‘Oh, it's her all right.’

Idioms

a bit of all right

(British English, slang) a person that you think is sexually attractive

I’m all right, Jack

(British English, informal) used by or about somebody who is happy with their own life and does not care about other people’s problems

it’ll be all right on the night

(saying) used to say that a performance, an event, etc. will be successful even if the preparations for it have not gone wellTopics Successc2

you're all right

(British English, informal) used to refuse an offer or invitation, especially one that you think is unreasonable or not very good
- ‘Could I interest you in our special offer?’ ‘No, you're all right, mate.’

See all right in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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