good-natured

adjective

good-na·​tured ˈgu̇d-ˈnā-chərd 

: of a pleasant and cooperative disposition

good-naturedly adverb

good-naturedness noun

Synonyms of good-natured

• 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

Here, group dates often involve good-natured humiliation rituals that vaguely correspond to a romantic theme. —Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

That gives Brady license to take good-natured shots at wrestling for now and positions him to become a high-profile heel at WrestleMania 42. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026

Cute but never cloying, the romantic comedy’s good-natured humor and heart connect in a smart, refreshingly unfussy manner. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026

Team Italy captain Vinnie Pasquantino is likely to get some good-natured ribbing from a few of his Royals teammates on Monday night. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026

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