congenial

[kuhn-jeen-yuhl]

adjective

agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character: congenial surroundings.

suited or adapted in spirit, feeling, temper, etc.; compatible: a congenial couple.

Origin of congenial

1615–25; < Latin con- con- + geni(us) genius + -al¹

Related formscon·ge·ni·al·i·ty

[kuhn-jee-nee-al-i-tee] /kənˌdʒi niˈæl ɪ ti/, con·gen·ial·ness, nouncon·gen·ial·ly, adverbpre·con·gen·ial, adjectivequa·si-con·gen·ial, adjectivequa·si-con·gen·ial·ly, adverbun·con·gen·ial, adjectiveun·con·gen·ial·ly, adverbun·con·ge·ni·al·i·ty, noun

Synonyms for congenial

1. favorable, pleasant, complaisant, sympathetic.

Antonyms for congenial

1, 2. disagreeable.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for congenially

Contemporary Examples of congenially

Cutting abruptly through the noise, I heard a congenially familiar sound: the squeaky voice of Freddy Catesby.
Life Imitates Patriots: Inaugural Version
David Frum
January 20, 2013

Historical Examples of congenially

Producing and non-producing classes can never be congenially associated.
Usury
Calvin Elliott
Certainly not the hard words they used so readily and congenially.
Charles Sumner; his Complete Works, v. 4-20
Charles Sumner
Everything else in his surroundings smiled most congenially.
Life of Charles Dickens
Frank Marzials
He reached his destination without remark, and found it congenially dreary.
What Will People Say?
Rupert Hughes
We are to “work in to one another,” smoothly, congenially, in a frictionless peace.
My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year
John Henry Jowett

British Dictionary definitions for congenially

congenial

adjective

friendly, pleasant, or agreeablea congenial atmosphere to work in

having a similar disposition, tastes, etc; compatible; sympathetic

Derived Formscongeniality (kənˌdʒiːnɪˈælɪtɪ) or congenialness, nouncongenially, adverb

Word Origin for congenial

C17: from con- (same) + genial 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for congenially

congenial

adj.

1620s, "kindred, sympathetic," from Latin com- "together" (see com-) + genialis "of birth," thus, "kindred" (see genus). Sense of "agreeable" is first recorded 1711. Related: Congeniality.