what good
idiom
—used to say that one does not think that something is helpful, useful, or worth doing
What good is a college education when you can't get a job after you graduate?
What good does it do to bring an umbrella along if you are only going to leave it in the car?
I could try talking to him, but what good would that do/be? He has already made up his mind.
Examples of what good in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After all, what good is watching a sad woman with a warped sense of self nip and tuck her face and body into oblivion if the results aren't compared and judged before a national audience?
18 of 19
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
—
Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2023
The idea is rooted in the notion that understanding the world often involves identifying patterns and making sense of complexity, which, as mentioned above, is similar to what good data compression does.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2023
Though, the recent debacle regarding the sacking and re-hiring of Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI certainly casts a blurry view of what good governance looks like.
3.
—Ajay Khari, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Viewed in a generous light, these contests could be seen as a vehicle for Russian soft power in much the same way that American movies defined what good guys and bad guys are supposed to look like for viewers around the world.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 4 Jan. 2024
After all, what good is a seat at the table if the chair isn’t comfortable?
—Shelcy Joseph, Essence, 5 Dec. 2023
That’s what good college players want to play in, environments like this.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2023
Be simple — show these Texans what good taste really is.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023
Humble advocacy in times of crisis is what good Catholics do because Jesus said good works are best done outside the limelight.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2023
Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2023
The idea is rooted in the notion that understanding the world often involves identifying patterns and making sense of complexity, which, as mentioned above, is similar to what good data compression does.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2023
Though, the recent debacle regarding the sacking and re-hiring of Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI certainly casts a blurry view of what good governance looks like.
3.
—Ajay Khari, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Viewed in a generous light, these contests could be seen as a vehicle for Russian soft power in much the same way that American movies defined what good guys and bad guys are supposed to look like for viewers around the world.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 4 Jan. 2024
After all, what good is a seat at the table if the chair isn’t comfortable?
—Shelcy Joseph, Essence, 5 Dec. 2023
That’s what good college players want to play in, environments like this.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2023
Be simple — show these Texans what good taste really is.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023
Humble advocacy in times of crisis is what good Catholics do because Jesus said good works are best done outside the limelight.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'what good.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near what good
Cite this Entry
“What good.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20good. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share