Idioms

leave well enough alone | let well enough alone

This page is about the idiom leave well enough alone | let well enough alone

American English

Meaning

If you leave well enough alone, or let well enough alone, you don't try to improve or change something that's already good enough.

For example

  • The kids seem happy enough now so let's just leave well enough alone and forget about finding a new school for them.

  • Unless there's a problem, I'd suggest you just let well enough alone and let your staff get on with their work.

Note:
"Leave well alone" and "let well alone" are also used, esp. in Australian and British English.

Variety

This idiom is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz

Some staff think we need new packaging for our products, and others think we should leave well enough alone and

a. change to new packaging

b. go back to older packaging

c. keep the same packaging
a) change to new packaging b) go back to older packaging c) keep the same packaging

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Common English Idioms

Contributor: Matt Errey