副词well的基本义是“好”，主要用于修饰动词。如：
Did you sleep well last night? 你昨晚睡得可好？
She copes very well under pressure. 压力之下，她应付得很好。
He played well in the second half of the match. 他在比赛的下半场表现得很好。
但除此之外，well还可表示强调或加强语气，主要有以下几种搭配：
一、修饰形容词
能用well修饰以加强语气的形容词不多，比较常见的有ablaze, able, accustomed, advanced, aware, content, prepared, qualified等。如：
He is well able to take care of himself. 他很会照顾自己。
I shall be well content to do so. 我将很高兴这样做。
He was well accustomed to hard work. 他早已习惯了艰苦工作。
Smokers are well aware of the dangers to their own health. 吸烟的人都知道吸烟对自身健康的危害。
My father was well qualified to act the part of a head teacher. 当时我爸爸十分胜任校长一职。
It is obvious to the students that they should get well prepared for their future. 很显然，学生应该为他们的将来做好准备。(天津卷)
By the time firefighters were called the house was well ablaze. 消防队员接到火警电话时，房子已是一片火海。
二、修饰副词
能用well修饰以加强语气的副词也很有限，比较常见的有away, back, down, forward, up等。如：
They were well down in front. 他们坐得很靠前。
Sales are well up on last year. 销量比去年大幅增加。
He leaned well forward in his chair. 他坐在椅子上身体很向前靠。
The house is set well back from the road. 这座房子离公路挺远。
Take my tip and keep well away from that place. 听我的劝告，离那个地方远远的。
三、修饰情态动词
能用well加强语气的情态动词主要是can, could, may, might。如：
1. can well：意思是“完全能够”“完全可以”“有充分理由”。如：
She can well answer such questions. 她完全能够那样的问题。
I can well understand how sorry he was then. 我能充分了解当时他是如何地难过。
2. could well：意思是“很可能”“完全能够”“有充分理由”。如：
The crisis could well place the relationship at risk. 这场危机可能会使这一关系有破裂的危险。
This election result could well lead to further bloodshed. 这个选举结果很可能导致再发生流血冲突。
she could well afford to pay for the reception herself. 她能够很容易自己支付招待会的费用。
注意句式It could well be that…（很可能……）。如：
It could well be that he has a real vocation. 很可能他是找到了自己真正的使命。
It could well be that rich people treasure peace more highly than poor people. 很可能富人比穷人更珍惜和平。
3. may well：意思是“很可能”“有充分理由”。如：
check the joints ― they may well need renewing. 检查一下接头――它们很可能需要更换了。
Liza may well not want to go on the trip―she hates traveling. 莉莎很可能不想去旅行――她讨厌旅行。(全国卷)
注意句式It may well be that…（很可能……）。如：
It may well be that the train is delayed. 火车很可能会晚点。
It may well be that the information is not available. 很有可能无法得到此信息。
4. might well：意思是“很可能”“有充分理由”（与may well 相比，语气更委婉）。如：
You could try the drugstore, but it might well be closed by now. 你可以到杂货店去试试，但现在很可能关门了。
They might well be prepared to do you harm in order to achieve their purpose. 为达成自己的目的，他们说不定已经做好了伤害你的准备。
四、修饰介词短语
能用well加强语气的介词主要是那些有动态意味或有强弱比较意味的介词。如：
1. well above：意思是“远远在……之上”“远远高于”。如：
the temperature was well above freezing. 温度远在冰点以上。
His test results are well above average. 他的测验成绩远远高于平均水平。
2. well after：意思是“远远在……之后”。如：
It was well after midnight by the time Anne returned to her apartment. 安妮回到寓所的时候早就过了午夜。
3. well ahead of：意思是“远远领先”“远远超过”。如：
Applications are well ahead of last year’s. 提出的申请数量大大超过去年。
Paula finished the race well ahead of the other runners. 葆拉远远领先其他选手跑完了比赛。
4. well before：意思是“远远在……之前”。如：
They’ll be back well before dark. 他们会在天黑前早早返回。
She admitted defeat well before all the votes had been counted. 选票还远未统计完，她就承认竞选失败了。
5. well below：意思是是“远远在……之下”“远远低于”。如：
Radiation is well below the permitted level. 辐射量远远低于规定水平。
Those houses are badly built; they are well below the necessary standard. 那些房屋建筑质量很差，远远达不到起码的标准。
6. well beyond：意思是“远远超过”“大大超出”。如：
the questions were well beyond the average adult. 这些问题大大超出了普通成年人的理解水平。
The loss has not yet been calculated accurately, but it is believed to be well beyond a hundred million dollars. 损失还没计算清楚，但是相信会远远超出100万美元。
7. well in advance：意思是“早早地”。如：
It is a good idea to place your order well in advance. 早早就提前下单是个好主意。
You’ll have to book up well in advance if you want to see that show. 要想看那场演出，你得早早预定座位。
8. well into：具体意思视into的意思而定。如：
Rub the cream well into your skin. 将乳膏抹匀，使皮肤充分吸收。
She had her first child well into middle age. 她初为人母时早已步入了中年。
He works from dawn to dusk, and often well into the night. 他从早到晚地工作，经常工作到深夜。
9. well out of：具体意思视out of的意思而定。如：
The cat stayed well out of range of the children. 那只猫离孩子们远远的。
The shelf is so high it is well out of my reach. 架子太高, 我根本够不着。
10. well over：意思是“远远超过”“大大超出”。如：
She was driving at well over the speed limit. 她开车的速度远远超过了速度限制。
I don’t know how old he is, but he looks well over forty. 我不知道他多少岁，但是他看上去有四十多岁了。
11. well past：意思是“远远超过”“远远晚于”。如：
He was well past retirement age. 他早过了退休年龄。
It’s well past my normal bedtime. 这比我平常睡觉的时间晚多了。
12. well within：意思是“完全在……之内”。如：
The 5% price rise is well within the limits set by the government. 5%的物价上涨远未超过政府限定的范围。
The mountain walk is well within the capacity of most fit people. 对大多数健康的人来说，走这山路不成问题。
五、修饰worth
worth在词性方面是一个比较特殊的词：有的词典认为它是介词，有的词典认为它是形容词。但不管将它视为介词还是形容词，若要加强语气，英语习惯上用well 修饰，而不用very。如：
The results are well worth the expense. 这些成果是完全值得这些花费的。
The dress was so beautiful when it arrived that it was well worth the wait. 送到的连衣裙实在是太漂亮了，等待完全值得。
Four days’ car hire costs $50, which is well worth it for the freedom it gives you. 租车4天花费50美元，相对给你带来的方便来说，这是非常值得的。
顺便说一句，worth后接动词时不用不定式，而用动名词（并且用主动形式表示被动意义）。如：
This book is well worth reading. 这本书很值得一读。
It was well worth waiting for. 这件事倒是很值得等待。
（责任编辑 陈根花）