affable
Americanadjective
-
pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite.
an affable and courteous gentleman.
- Synonyms:
- sociable, gracious, genial, approachable, amiable, accessible
- Antonyms:
- standoffish, distant, inaccessible, unapproachable, unsociable, unfriendly
-
showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant.
an affable smile.
adjective
-
showing warmth and friendliness; kindly; mild; benign
-
easy to converse with; approachable; amicable
Synonym Usage
See civil.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of affable
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin affābilis “that can be spoken to, courteous,” equivalent to af- af- + fā- “speak” ( see fate) + -bilis -ble, perhaps via Middle French
Explanation
Affable means friendly, pleasant, and easy to talk to. An affable host offers you something to drink and makes you feel at home. The adjective affable entered English by way of the Latin word affābilis, which means "kind, friendly." If you’re stuck on an airplane next to someone affable, the trip won’t be so bad because that person will be easy to chat with but won’t talk your ear off. Synonyms of affable also refer to a pleasant and mild friendliness, such as genial, hospitable, and gracious. Affable people generally seem like they’re in a good mood and are happy to see you.
Vocabulary lists containing affable
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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.
Affable and tall with an owlish face, Goebel found inspiration for “Kill Dick” in the “sunshine noir” of writers like Bret Easton Ellis, Nathanael West and Joan Didion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Affable and quick with a joke — he published a book of illustrated puns titled “Gopher Broke” — Mr. Rubin was president and programmer.
From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2022
Affable and emotional, Towns has been known to speak in hyperbole like this.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2022
Affable and charming, he arrives for our interview whistling The Beatles' Get Back, wearing a sweater as comfortable as his demeanour.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2020
Affable, placid Alicia whiled away her days in bed, playing with dolls in tents constructed from Mami’s sheets.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
