'well-oxygenated' originates from English, formed from the adverb 'well' and the adjective 'oxygenated'; 'well' meant 'in a good or thorough manner' and 'oxygenated' is built from 'oxygen' + the suffix '-ate' + past participle '-ed'.

'oxygenated' comes from the verb 'oxygenate' (to combine with or supply with oxygen), which derives from 'oxygen' (coined in the late 18th century from French 'oxygène'), itself from Greek roots 'oxys' meaning 'sharp, acid' and '-gen' meaning 'producer'. The compound 'well-oxygenated' developed in modern English by combining 'well' with 'oxygenated' to describe something having a good level of oxygen.

Initially, 'oxygen' (named in the 18th century) was associated with producing acids ('acid producer'), but its meaning shifted to the chemical element we know today; 'oxygenated' originally meant 'combined with oxygen' and has come to be used more generally as 'supplied with sufficient oxygen' in contemporary usage.