EN

Synonyms for genial

  • adjective

Most common

friendly amiable affable cordial

All synonyms

Adjective

1. Friendly

friendly, amiable, affable, cordial, congenial, good-natured, jovial, cheerful, pleasant, companionable, jolly, hospitable, good, warm, agreeable, sociable, hearty, benign, merry, temperate, mild, mellow

Other

kind, mental, generative, bonhomous

Antonyms

bilious, grumpy, ungenial

All antonyms of genial →

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Friendly and cheerful; enlivening.

Related words

Word family
geniality genially

Choose the right word

Genial, Companionable, Sociable or Cordial?

Companionable and sociable refer to manner and behavior, cordial and genial express genuine kindliness of heart.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • friendly My boyfriend is smart, handsome, and friendly too.
  • cordial I was pleased no end by the cordial welcome.
  • amiable She is not only beautiful but also amiable.
  • affable Many extroverted people are at least somewhat affable.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
genialsteady
friendlyrising
cordialfalling
amiablesteady
affablerising
bonhomoussteady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
good1, kind1, warm1, mild1
5 letters
merry2, jolly2
6 letters
mental2, benign2, hearty2, mellow2, jovial3
7 letters
cordial2, amiable4, affable3
8 letters
friendly2, pleasant2, cheerful2, sociable3
9 letters
temperate2, agreeable4, congenial3, bonhomous
10 letters
hospitable4, generative4
13 letters
companionable

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (merry2 = 2 syllables).