bonhomie

American  

[bon-uh-mee, bon-uh-mee, baw-naw-mee] / ˌbɒn əˈmi, ˈbɒn əˌmi, bɔ nɔˈmi /

noun

1. frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner; friendliness; geniality.

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bonhomie British  

/ bɔnɔmi, ˈbɒnəmiː /

noun

1. exuberant friendliness

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Other Word Forms

• bonhomous adjective

Etymology

Origin of bonhomie

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, equivalent to bonhomme “good-natured man” ( boon ², Homo ) + -ie -y ³

Explanation

If you are known for your bonhomie, that's a good thing. It means that you are a cheerful friendly sort of person. Keep it up. Any French speaker will recognize that the noun bonhomie is related to bon homme — French for "good man." However, a woman can exude a spirit of bonhomie as well, as long as she is cheery and kind. If you are looking to infuse a depressing setting with bonhomie, try cracking a joke or setting your beret at a rakish angle.

Example Sentences

In Islamabad, Munir was at the centre of the action -- greeting both delegations on their arrival and displaying remarkable bonhomie with Vance.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

All that military bonhomie didn’t produce a well-oiled effort on the field, where hits and base runners stack to create overwhelming wins.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

At a dinner on Fifth Avenue where Churchill was the guest of honor, Mitchell, trying to maintain his usual bonhomie, stood up and offered a toast: “To my fellow former millionaires.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

While the home fans are expected to bring a spikiness to Bethpage, Europe skipper Luke Donald and his US counterpart Keegan Bradley will deliver the bonhomie.

From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025

So now, to prove he was happy, here he was, trying to sparkle with bonhomie.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro