1
as in gracious
having an easygoing and pleasing manner especially in social situations
a genial host who makes a point of speaking personally to each and every guest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in warm
having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest
genial new neighbors who helped us unpack boxes and brought us dinner our first night in the new place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hospitable
showing a natural kindness and courtesy especially in social situations
his genial offer to give me his seat on the bus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in temperate
marked by temperatures that are neither too high nor too low
wanted to move to a more genial clime for health reasons
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genial
George Wendt, the actor known for playing the genial, beer-guzzling barfly Norm Peterson on all 11 seasons of the classic sitcom Cheers, died Tuesday at 76.
—
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 May 2025
In the aftermath of Radford’s breakthrough, OpenAI’s leadership—especially the genial Altman and his co-founder and chief scientist, the faintly shamanistic Ilya Sutskever—made a series of pivotal decisions.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The moment came after Obama, Biden and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had a friendly conversation onstage where the president fielded genial questions from his predecessor and the comedian that highlighted his political and legislative achievements.
—Anna Commander
sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
This bit of cautiously positive news came just after this board met with the genial Midwest consul general of China, Wang Baodong, and some of his staff and had a wide-ranging discussion, including on the tense state of affairs between the two countries, one these diplomats bemoan.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for genial
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 May 2025
In the aftermath of Radford’s breakthrough, OpenAI’s leadership—especially the genial Altman and his co-founder and chief scientist, the faintly shamanistic Ilya Sutskever—made a series of pivotal decisions.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The moment came after Obama, Biden and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had a friendly conversation onstage where the president fielded genial questions from his predecessor and the comedian that highlighted his political and legislative achievements.
—Anna Commander
sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
This bit of cautiously positive news came just after this board met with the genial Midwest consul general of China, Wang Baodong, and some of his staff and had a wide-ranging discussion, including on the tense state of affairs between the two countries, one these diplomats bemoan.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for genial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genial
Adjective
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The man was gifted, gracious, often generous and seldom mean-spirited.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
10 July 2025
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But goodness gracious, the Rockies are only (14-36) under Schaeffer after going 7-33 under Black.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Although, the ear pads can get sweaty in warm weather and aren’t user-replaceable.—
Prakhar Khanna,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Lots of natural light and warm, muted color palettes make your spaces feel comforting and inviting, just like our favorite housekeeper.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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But the people tasked with reviewing the project at its next step may not be as hospitable.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
3 July 2025
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Until recently, the top of women’s tennis was a hospitable place for prodigies.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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The list includes places like Malta, a five-island nation with terrific beaches, a temperate climate and low crime, and Belize, the only Central American country with English as its official language.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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Rain put somewhat of a damper on things during the day Friday with stages closing early and the start time for the stadium shows pushed back to 9 p.m. But fans were still eager to enjoy the temperate 75-degree night with some of country music's biggest stars.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Like, so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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Like so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Best Prime Day Robot Vacuum Deals Need a friendly little robot to tidy up your house?—
Nena Farrell,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
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Recently sober, Felix has his own complement of bandmates, friends and friendly ex-girlfriends, including three women named Polly — Adèle Exarchopoulos plays the important one — whose history with Felix makes Jess nervous.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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But the show has also increasingly thrived on the odd-couple chemistry between co-creator Downs, who plays Hollywood’s gentlest manager, and breakout star Stalter as his assistant turned partner.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 July 2025
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My life is my people, the gentle hills of the Marche region, and the objects that hold and transmit emotions.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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The units also vary in shape: the cube is nice for nightstands, while the wider grand size works well on large dressers.—
Jamie Fischer,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
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And, the embroidery on the pillowcases adds a nice touch.—
Shalwah Evans,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genial. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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