genial
1 Americanadjective
adjective
-
cheerful, easy-going, and warm in manner or behaviour
-
pleasantly warm, so as to give life, growth, or health
the genial sunshine
adjective
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.
His innocent smiles and genial facial expressions won over millions of viewers.
From Barron's
Initially they rekindle a genial intimacy over art, meals and the city’s beauty.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
RFK Jr.’s more genial video version shows him sipping a glass of milk and being dreamily transported to a lively dance floor.
From Los Angeles Times
Generally speaking, it’s more angular, more acid, more morbid, more willing to let a protagonist stew in misery, more suspicious of sentiment than our comparatively genial homegrown brand.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
