bonhomie

noun

bon·​ho·​mie ˌbä-nə-ˈmē 

ˌbō-

: good-natured easy friendliness

an undying bonhomie radiated from her

—Jean Stafford

bonhomous

ˈbä-nə-məs 

adjective

Did you know?

English speakers borrowed bonhomie from French, where the word was created from bonhomme, which means "good-natured man" and is itself a composite of two other French words: bon, meaning "good," and homme, meaning "man." That French compound traces to two Latin terms, bonus (meaning "good") and homo (meaning either "man" or "human being"). English speakers have warmly embraced bonhomie and its meaning, but we have also anglicized the pronunciation in a way that may make native French speakers cringe. (We hope they will be good-natured about it!)

Examples of bonhomie in a Sentence

the bonhomie of strangers singing together around a campfire

Recent Examples on the Web

Another cliché of the form is the exaggerated bonhomie that is meant to disguise the fact that the performers are not characters with relationships to play. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

More than 30 grand finale designers gathered on stage at the end, a showing of bonhomie and of friendships. —Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2025

The new bonhomie extends to his relationship with Hansen as well. —Gary Graff, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2025

With its forced bonhomie, the show is neither informative nor engaging. —Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French bonhomie, from bonhomme good-natured man, from bon good + homme man

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bonhomie

• foamy
• homey
• komi
• loamy
• colostomy
• lobotomy
• naomi
• salome
• potawatomi
• tracheostomy

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