I'll be
Expressing surprise.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Well, I'll be! You actually finished the project early.”
“When he saw his old friend walk into the room unexpectedly, he exclaimed, "Well, I'll be!"”
“Upon discovering that the long-lost manuscript had been hidden in the attic all these years, the professor whispered, "Well, I'll be."”
Presumably formed through anapodoton as a shortened version of the phrase *I’ll be damned*. The latter part of the expression is omitted, leaving the consequence of the speaker's surprise understood rather than stated.
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
bird of ill omen
A person who brings bad news.
- 03
do ill
To harm, to injure.
- 04
house of ill fame
A brothel
- 05
I'll be a monkey's uncle
Often preceded by well: expressing complete surprise or disbelief.
- 06
I'll be bound
An expression of surprise.
- 07
I'll be damned
An expression of surprise.
- 08
I'll be danged
An expression of surprise.
Last updated August 10, 2026