amiable
AY-mee-uh-bul
/ˈeɪmiəbl/
Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner.
Describes a person's general disposition or temperament—someone who is easy to get along with, sweet-tempered, and warm.
The story behind the word. Amiable comes from the Late Latin 'amicabilis' (friendly), from 'amicus' (friend). In Old French, it was influenced by 'amabilis' (loveable), blending the concepts of being friendly and being easy to love into a single, warm adjective.
Word relationships
- affable: Affable means easy to talk to and approachable, while amiable emphasizes a sweet, peaceable, and likable nature.
- amicable: Amicable is used to describe relations or agreements between groups (e.g., 'an amicable divorce'), while amiable describes a person's personality.
- surly: Surly means bad-tempered and unfriendly, the direct opposite of amiable.
- hostile: Hostile implies active enmity or unfriendliness.
Commonly confused with
- amicable: Amiable describes a warm person ('an amiable host'); amicable describes a polite, conflict-free interaction or arrangement ('an amicable settlement').
Word family
- amiability (noun): The quality of having a friendly and pleasant manner.
- amiably (adverb): In a friendly and pleasant manner.
Collocations
- amiable disposition
- amiable host
- amiable smile
- perfectly amiable
Example sentences
- "He was an amiable young man, always ready with a smile and a kind word for his neighbors." A classic 19th-century novel describing a character's temperament.
- "Despite their differences, the negotiations were conducted in an amiable atmosphere." Describing a peaceful business meeting.
Memory hook
Amiable starts with 'ami', which is French for friend. An amiable person is always ready to be your 'ami'. Ami means friend.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a formal document, a treaty, or a physical object. It is almost exclusively used for people, their behavior, or their expressions.
Fun facts
- In early English, 'amiable' was sometimes used to mean 'lovely' or 'physically beautiful', but this meaning has been entirely obsolete for centuries.
Explore more words
affable, amicable, genial, companionable, gracious, affectionate
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