good-natured

adjective

good-na·​tured ˈgu̇d-ˈnā-chərd 

: of a pleasant and cooperative disposition

good-naturedly adverb

good-naturedness noun

Synonyms

• gracious
• pleasant
• nice
• amiable
• sweet

Choose the Right Synonym for good-natured

amiable, good-natured, obliging, complaisant mean having the desire or disposition to please.

amiable implies having qualities that make one liked and easy to deal with.

an amiable teacher not easily annoyed

good-natured implies cheerfulness or helpfulness and sometimes a willingness to be imposed upon.

a good-natured girl who was always willing to pitch in

obliging stresses a friendly readiness to be helpful.

our obliging innkeeper found us a bigger room

complaisant often implies passivity or a yielding to others because of weakness.

was too complaisant to protest a decision he thought unfair

Examples of good-natured in a Sentence

the guests at the party were a good-natured bunch

Recent Examples on the Web

Legette, who is almost always good-natured, seemed irked by some of the questions during his media availability Wednesday. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025

Aside from the amphitheater’s good-natured janitor Beppo (Kim Bodnia), Momo’s most meaningful relationship is her friendship with Gino (Araloyin Oshunremi), a teenager working multiple jobs to help his mother Liliana (Jennifer Amaka Pettersson) support his siblings. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025

There were caveats, which included the detail that the car would, in fact, be tracked—so other users with self-navigating cars would be sent to other locations—but mostly, the form served as good-natured encouragement; a reminder of the mission at hand. —Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025

There were moments of good-natured humor sprinkled in — a way to care for fellow team members and honor those who were going home. —Melissa Olson, Twin Cities, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for good-natured

• denatured
• natured

Kids Definition

good-natured

adjective

good-na·​tured

ˈgu̇d-ˈnā-chərd

: of a pleasant cheerful disposition

good-naturedly adverb

good-naturedness noun