congenial
Americanadjective
-
agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character.
congenial surroundings.
- Synonyms:
- united, sympathetic, kindred, harmonious, complaisant, pleasing, pleasant, favorable, enjoyable, agreeable
- Antonyms:
- disagreeable
-
suited or adapted in spirit, feeling, temper, etc.; compatible.
a congenial couple.
adjective
-
friendly, pleasant, or agreeable
a congenial atmosphere to work in
-
having a similar disposition, tastes, etc; compatible; sympathetic
Usage
What does congenial mean? Congenial means friendly, pleasant, or agreeable. Someone who’s congenial is easy to get along with. It’s especially used to describe people and their personalities, but it can also describe atmospheres marked by friendliness, as in a congenial workplace. The noun congeniality refers to the quality of being congenial. Less commonly, congenial can mean well suited or well matched, as in It’s a very congenial friendship—they share several interests. The word compatible is a close synonym of this sense of congenial. Example: You won’t find a more congenial person than Jess—she has a kind word for everyone she meets.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of congenial
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin con- con- + geni(us) genius + -al 1
Explanation
A congenial person is easy to get along with. If you're trying to decide which of your friends to take on a road trip, choose the most congenial one. Congenial means sharing the same temperament, or agreeing with your temperament. You can talk about a congenial person, place, or environment. Maybe you enjoy the congenial atmosphere of the library. Or perhaps for you the disco is more congenial. As you might expect for such a vaguely approving word, there are many synonyms: agreeable, pleasant, delectable, delightful, enjoyable, and so on.
Vocabulary lists containing congenial
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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Grade 10, List 6
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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.
He’d been a more than congenial host, showing this writer around the cavernous space where a group of what looked like teenagers with laptops were composing the landscapes of the film’s fictional world Pandora.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
That may be just a more congenial way to encounter a set of ideas you disagree with than a newspaper column that tries to make a particular argument or point.
From Slate • Oct. 7, 2025
Despite the challenges, the mood at the awards show was congenial, with attendees shouting out to one another on stage, in the lobby and from their cars as they pulled into the parking lot.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025
Sir John said the world was changing and "may not be reshaping in a way that is congenial to the West".
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2025
“I guess it wouldn’t be very congenial of me not to go. Will you come, too? I want to have one friend.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
