amiable

adjective

ami·a·ble ˈā-mē-ə-bəl How to pronounce amiable (audio)

: friendly, sociable, and congenial

an amiable host

amiable neighbors

: generally agreeable

an amiable comedy

archaic : pleasing, admirable

amiability

ˌā-mē-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce amiable (audio)

noun

amiableness

ˈā-mē-ə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce amiable (audio)

noun

amiably

ˈā-mē-ə-blē How to pronounce amiable (audio)

adverb

Did you know?

The Roots of Amiable Go Back to Love

Amiable derives from the Late Latin adjective amicabilis, meaning "friendly," which in turn comes from the Latin word for "friend" and can ultimately be traced back to amare, meaning "to love." When amiable was adopted into English in the 14th century, it meant "pleasing" or "admirable," but that sense is now obsolete. The current, familiar senses of "generally agreeable" ("an amiable movie") and "friendly and sociable" came centuries later. Amare has also given English speakers such words as amative and amorous (both meaning "strongly moved by love"), amour ("a usually illicit love affair"), and even amateur (which originally meant "admirer").

Example Sentences

… an amiable man, a gray-headed, fiftyish, good old boy with a long career in media and public relations, and a hellish taste for margaritas …

Denis Johnson, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2000 These strained plot contortions aren't really necessary: the funny, amiable heart of the movie is in the scenes of these tough old duffers scamming their way through the training program.

David Ansen, Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2000 The book pivots around Molly Bonner, an amiable, 40-ish woman whose second husband has just died in a helicopter accident, leaving her grief-struck and rich.

Tad Friend, Vogue, March 1997 Gianni Versace is an amiable smoothy with a light touch and a corona of gray hair.

Marie Brenner, Vanity Fair, January 1997 Everyone knew him as an amiable fellow. She had an amiable conversation with her friend. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Paul Sorvino, the imposing and amiable actor best known for his role in Martin Scorsese's 1990 film Goodfellas, died Monday morning of natural causes with his wife, Dee Dee Sorvino, at his side.

Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 July 2022 Yet Saget is so good-natured, so amiable, even the nastiest bestiality reference comes across as oddly sweet.

Rodney Ho, ajc, 10 Jan. 2022 That means the handsome, powerful but amiable pointers can now go for best in show at many U.S. dog shows, including the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club event next year.

Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2022 At the surface level, the conversation is relatively safe and amiable, while the topic is still very generic and points directionally at something without yet achieving clarity and identifying the specific issue.

Thomas Lim, Forbes, 21 June 2022 Despite being the star of Stranger Things, one of the biggest TV shows in the world, and having more than 55 million Instagram followers, Millie seems amiable, open, and immediately likable.

Emily Zemler, Allure, 11 Aug. 2022 Embedded in this lively, amiable, and inventive film is an immense sadness that has everything to do with those defining conditions.

Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2022 Fesperman, a former reporter on international affairs, narrates the book himself in an amiable, sandy voice that remains easy-paced and unruffled in even the most lethal circumstances.

Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 29 July 2022 Democrat Michael Bennet, the state’s amiable U.S. senator, should be waltzing to reelection.

Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English amyable, borrowed from Anglo-French amiable, going back to Late Latin amīcābilis, from Latin amīcus "personal friend, lover, friend in public life, partisan" or amīcāre "to make friendly to oneself, propitiate" (derivative of amīcus) + -bilis "capable (of acting) or worthy (of being acted upon)"; Latin amīcus, noun derivative of amīcus, adjective, "friendly, well-disposed, loving, devoted," derivative of amāre "to feel affection for, love" — more at amateur, -able

Note: A predecessor *ama-ikos, from a stative verb *ama-ē-, is suggested by P. Schrijver (The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Latin, Rodopi, 1991, p. 399), following a proposal by D. Steinbauer (Etymologische Untersuchungen zu den bei Plautus belegten Verben der lateinischen ersten Konjugation, Altendorf, 1989, pp. 131-32). This would seem to be supported by the inscriptional form ameicus (unless it is an inverted spelling) and the form amecus cited by the grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus. M. Weiss, on the other hand, proposes a "deinstrumental" origin from an adverbial base *amī- "with love," in Indo-European terms *h₂m̥h₃ih₁- (see Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, Ann Arbor, 2009, p. 296).

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

单词	amiably
释义	amiable adjective ami·a·ble ˈā-mē-ə-bəl 1 a : friendly, sociable, and congenial an amiable host amiable neighbors b : generally agreeable an amiable comedy 2 archaic : pleasing, admirable amiability ˌā-mē-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun amiableness ˈā-mē-ə-bəl-nəs noun amiably ˈā-mē-ə-blē adverb Did you know? The Roots of Amiable Go Back to Love Amiable derives from the Late Latin adjective amicabilis, meaning "friendly," which in turn comes from the Latin word for "friend" and can ultimately be traced back to amare, meaning "to love." When amiable was adopted into English in the 14th century, it meant "pleasing" or "admirable," but that sense is now obsolete. The current, familiar senses of "generally agreeable" ("an amiable movie") and "friendly and sociable" came centuries later. Amare has also given English speakers such words as amative and amorous (both meaning "strongly moved by love"), amour ("a usually illicit love affair"), and even amateur (which originally meant "admirer"). Synonyms affable agreeable genial good-natured good-tempered gracious mellow nice pleasant sweet well-disposed See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences … an amiable man, a gray-headed, fiftyish, good old boy with a long career in media and public relations, and a hellish taste for margaritas … Denis Johnson, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2000 These strained plot contortions aren't really necessary: the funny, amiable heart of the movie is in the scenes of these tough old duffers scamming their way through the training program. David Ansen, Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2000 The book pivots around Molly Bonner, an amiable, 40-ish woman whose second husband has just died in a helicopter accident, leaving her grief-struck and rich. Tad Friend, Vogue, March 1997 Gianni Versace is an amiable smoothy with a light touch and a corona of gray hair. Marie Brenner, Vanity Fair, January 1997 Everyone knew him as an amiable fellow. She had an amiable conversation with her friend. See More Recent Examples on the Web Paul Sorvino, the imposing and amiable actor best known for his role in Martin Scorsese's 1990 film Goodfellas, died Monday morning of natural causes with his wife, Dee Dee Sorvino, at his side. Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 July 2022 Yet Saget is so good-natured, so amiable, even the nastiest bestiality reference comes across as oddly sweet. Rodney Ho, ajc, 10 Jan. 2022 That means the handsome, powerful but amiable pointers can now go for best in show at many U.S. dog shows, including the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club event next year. Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2022 At the surface level, the conversation is relatively safe and amiable, while the topic is still very generic and points directionally at something without yet achieving clarity and identifying the specific issue. Thomas Lim, Forbes, 21 June 2022 Despite being the star of Stranger Things, one of the biggest TV shows in the world, and having more than 55 million Instagram followers, Millie seems amiable, open, and immediately likable. Emily Zemler, Allure, 11 Aug. 2022 Embedded in this lively, amiable, and inventive film is an immense sadness that has everything to do with those defining conditions. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2022 Fesperman, a former reporter on international affairs, narrates the book himself in an amiable, sandy voice that remains easy-paced and unruffled in even the most lethal circumstances. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 29 July 2022 Democrat Michael Bennet, the state’s amiable U.S. senator, should be waltzing to reelection. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English amyable, borrowed from Anglo-French amiable, going back to Late Latin amīcābilis, from Latin amīcus "personal friend, lover, friend in public life, partisan" or amīcāre "to make friendly to oneself, propitiate" (derivative of amīcus) + -bilis "capable (of acting) or worthy (of being acted upon)"; Latin amīcus, noun derivative of amīcus, adjective, "friendly, well-disposed, loving, devoted," derivative of amāre "to feel affection for, love" — more at amateur, -able Note: A predecessor ama-ikos, from a stative verb ama-ē-, is suggested by P. Schrijver (The Reflexes of the Proto-Indo-European Laryngeals in Latin, Rodopi, 1991, p. 399), following a proposal by D. Steinbauer (Etymologische Untersuchungen zu den bei Plautus belegten Verben der lateinischen ersten Konjugation, Altendorf, 1989, pp. 131-32). This would seem to be supported by the inscriptional form ameicus (unless it is an inverted spelling) and the form amecus cited by the grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus. M. Weiss, on the other hand, proposes a "deinstrumental" origin from an adverbial base amī- "with love," in Indo-European terms h₂m̥h₃ih₁- (see Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, Ann Arbor, 2009, p. 296). First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Kids Definition amiable adjective ami·a·ble ˈā-mē-ə-bəl : having a friendly and pleasant manner amiably adverb as in affably Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance affably genially cheerfully congenially cheerily cordially graciously sweetly good-naturedly courteously friendlily thoughtfully reasonably hospitably considerately kindly nicely ungrudgingly unselfishly selflessly good-heartedly generously liberally amply handsomely benevolently bounteously bountifully unstintingly munificently magnanimously charitably lavishly beneficently humanely altruistically philanthropically openhandedly well freehandedly freeheartedly bigheartedly kindheartedly Antonyms & Near Antonyms rudely contemptuously scornfully coolly disdainfully coldly parsimoniously ungenerously cooly angrily provocatively belligerently hostilely obnoxiously stingily grudgingly begrudgingly frigidly See More
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amiable

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adverb