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Synonyms

genial

1 American  
[jeen-yuhl, jee-nee-uhl] / ˈdʒin yəl, ˈdʒi ni əl /

adjective

  1. warmly and pleasantly cheerful; cordial.

    a genial disposition;

    a genial host.
    Synonyms:
    agreeable, pleasant, hearty, friendly

  2. favorable for life, growth, or comfort; pleasantly warm; comfortably mild.

    the genial climate of Hawaii.

  3. characterized by genius.

genial 2 American  
[juh-nahy-uhl] / dʒəˈnaɪ əl /

adjective

Anatomy, Zoology.

  1. of or relating to the chin.

genial 1 British  
/ ˈdʒiːnjəl, -nɪəl, ˌdʒiːnɪˈælɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. cheerful, easy-going, and warm in manner or behaviour

  2. pleasantly warm, so as to give life, growth, or health

    the genial sunshine
"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
genial 2 British  
/ dʒɪˈniːəl /

adjective

  1. anatomy of or relating to the chin

"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

Other Word Forms

  • geniality noun
  • genially adverb
  • genialness noun

Etymology

Origin of genial1

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin geniālis “festive, jovial, pleasant,” equivalent to geni(us), a tutelary deity, the spirit of social enjoyment + -ālis -al 1; genius ( def. )

Origin of genial2

1825–35; < Greek génei ( on ) chin, derivative of gén ( ys ) jaw (compare Latin gena ) + -al 1

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.

When the genial 77-year-old Albany Law School graduate walked into his courtroom in lower Manhattan last week, he was presiding over a single refund case—involving a filtration company—that no one was watching.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

His innocent smiles and genial facial expressions won over millions of viewers.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

A formidable scholar with a genial talent for storytelling, he amplifies his archival research with personal investigation of the places and surviving objects from his subject’s life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Initially they rekindle a genial intimacy over art, meals and the city’s beauty.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Harry Strickland had always been a genial man, better at hammering out contracts than at hammering on foes.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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.