cordial

¹cor·dial

adjective \ˈkȯr-jəl\

Definition of CORDIAL

1

obsolete : of or relating to the heart : vital

2

: tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate <bottles full of excellent cordial waters — Daniel Defoe>

3

a : sincerely or deeply felt <a cordial dislike for each other>

b : warmly and genially affable <cordial relations>

— cor·dial·ly \ˈkȯrj-lē, ˈkȯr-jə-\ adverb

— cor·dial·ness \ˈkȯr-jəl-nəs\ noun

Examples of CORDIAL

1. We received a cordial greeting from our hostess at the party.
2. The two nations have maintained cordial relations.
3. … Conrad Black was cordial and not the least rumbustious. —Calvin Trillin, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2001
4. Though its chairman, Charles Obi, was cordial to him, the others made it clear that they didn't want him. —Ishmael Reed, Japanese by Spring, 1993
5. My reception was cordial enough … —Robert Frost, 7 Jan. 1913, in Selected Letters of Robert Frost, edited by Lawrance Thompson, 1964
6. Mr. Price now received his daughter; and having given her a cordial hug, and observed that she was grown into a woman … —Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

Origin of CORDIAL

Middle English, from Medieval Latin cordialis, from Latin cord-, cor heart — more at heart

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CORDIAL

Synonyms

amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, friendly, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, matey [chiefly British], neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy [slang], warm, warmhearted

Antonyms

antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly

Related Words

affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet; clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social; jolly, jovial, merry; extroverted (also extraverted), outgoing; brotherly, fraternal, sisterly; close, familiar, intimate; adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted

Near Antonyms

alienated, estranged; chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry (also wintery); unsociable, unsocial; aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent; inhospitable, inimical

See Synonym Discussion at gracious

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

²cor·dial

noun \ˈkȯr-jəl\

Definition of CORDIAL

1

: a stimulating medicine or drink

2

: liqueur

Examples of CORDIAL

1. It was fortunate that the boys never tested Alyce's magic, for the bottle she shook so fiercely at them was naught but blackberry cordial she was to deliver to Old Anna … —Karen Cushman, The Midwife's Apprentice, 1995
2. A boy is said to become a man when he can sip the 140-proof anise-seed cordial without wincing. —Paul L. Montgomery, New York Times, 6 Sept. 1965
3. “In this bottle,” he said, “there is a cordial made of the juice of one of the fire-flowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. If you or any of your friends are hurt, a few drops of this will restore you. —C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, 1950

Origin of CORDIAL

(see ¹cordial)

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

cor·dial

noun \ˈkȯr-jəl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of CORDIAL

: an invigorating and stimulating medicine, food, or drink