let well enough alone








adjective (used predicatively)

  1. separate, apart, or isolated from others: I want to be alone.
  2. to the exclusion of all others or all else: One cannot live by bread alone.
  3. unique; unequaled; unexcelled: He is alone among his peers in devotion to duty.

adverb

  1. solitarily; solely: She prefers to live alone.
  2. only; exclusively.
  3. without aid or help: The baby let go of the side of the crib and stood alone.

Idioms

  1. leave alone,
    1. to allow (someone) to be by himself or herself: Leave him alone—he wants to rest.
    2. to refrain from annoying or interfering with: The youngsters wouldn’t leave the dog alone, and he finally turned on them.
  2. let alone,
    1. to refrain from annoying or interfering with.
    2. not to mention: He was too tired to walk, let alone run.
  3. let well enough alone, to be satisfied with the existing situation; refrain from attempting to change conditions: Marriages are often destroyed by relatives who will not let well enough alone.

adjective, adverb (postpositive)

  1. apart from another or others; solitary
  2. without anyone or anything elseone man alone could lift it
  3. without equal; uniquehe stands alone in the field of microbiology
  4. to the exclusion of others; onlyshe alone believed him
  5. leave alone, leave be, let alone or let be to refrain from annoying or interfering with
  6. leave well alone, leave well enough alone, let well alone or let well enough alone to refrain from interfering with something that is satisfactory
  7. let alone much less; not to mentionhe can’t afford beer, let alone whisky

adj., adv.c.1300 contraction of all ane, from Old English all ana “unaccompanied, all by oneself,” from all “all, wholly” (see all) + an “one” (see one). Similar compounds are found in German (allein) and Dutch (alleen). see leave well enough alone. see go it alone; leave someone alone; leave well enough alone; let alone.

55 queries 0.617