amiable
Americanadjective
-
having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable.
an amiable disposition.
- Synonyms:
- gracious
- Antonyms:
- rude
-
friendly; sociable.
an amiable greeting; an amiable gathering.
- Synonyms:
- amicable
- Antonyms:
- hostile, unfriendly
-
agreeable; willing to accept the wishes, decisions, or suggestions of another or others.
-
Obsolete. lovable or lovely.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- amiability noun
- amiableness noun
- amiably adverb
- quasi-amiable adjective
- quasi-amiably adverb
- unamiable adjective
- unamiableness noun
- unamiably adverb
Etymology
Origin of amiable
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin amīcābilis amicable
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Who could’ve guessed that a spin on “A Christmas Carol” that follows a woman with a bad haircut tormenting her neighbors might not be the most amiable take on this heartwarming story?
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025
Steven Lee Johnson’s Charlie, the dorky assistant sound engineer, is an amiable weirdo, though I missed the way Andrew R. Butler played him almost like a space alien in New York.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
Andrew, who is 12 years younger than Charles, was long considered the family’s amiable cad.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
The governor, in these settings, was an amiable but not especially compelling guest.
From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025
Somehow, in the broad, shadowless light of noon, the water looked amiable and welcoming.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
