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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word cordial different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of cordial are affable, genial, gracious, and sociable. While all these words mean "markedly pleasant and easy in social intercourse," cordial stresses warmth and heartiness.

our host was cordial as he greeted us

When could affable be used to replace cordial?

The synonyms affable and cordial are sometimes interchangeable, but affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals.

though wealthy, she was affable to all

When is genial a more appropriate choice than cordial?

In some situations, the words genial and cordial are roughly equivalent. However, genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality.

a genial companion with a ready quip

In what contexts can gracious take the place of cordial?

The words gracious and cordial can be used in similar contexts, but gracious implies courtesy and kindly consideration.

the gracious award winner thanked her colleagues

When is it sensible to use sociable instead of cordial?

While the synonyms sociable and cordial are close in meaning, sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others.

sociable people who enjoy entertaining

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cordial
Adjective
Kahn, then a member of the Academy’s Board of Governors and a longtime marketing executive, stared down the problem and came away with an idea: What if nominees gathered for a cordial, agony-free luncheon several weeks before the ceremony? Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 The meeting was cordial — at one point both men shared a microphone after one died. Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
This basket includes the treats: chocolate caramel grahams, prosecco cordials, midnight snack mix and gourmet popcorn. Nora Colomer, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024 This year, skip the small-batch scotch or whisky; something feels right, right now, about cordials and liqueurs—high-alcohol spirits that are sweetened with fruit, and sometimes splashed with vinegar or spice. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for cordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cordial
Adjective
  • The Clara IEMs have a warm bass, a forward midrange and a silky treble that’s just sharp enough to bring the soundstage into perfect focus without making the listener’s brain work overtime top descramble distortion.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • The room, once decorated in severe tones of black and gray, has received a warm makeover, with bright paint and tropical mosaics.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 May 2025
Adjective
  • The building itself includes 24-hour concierge service and features a gracious lobby with a residents’ lounge.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Throughout the conversation, maintain a gracious tone regardless of immediate outcomes.
    Kara Dennison, SPHR, CPRW, EC, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Pineapple can be a refreshing and beneficial addition to your meals when eaten in moderation and paired with a healthy diet and exercise.
    Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
  • Set up pool floats, play beach volleyball, and serve refreshing drinks like lemonade or iced tea.
    Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Trainer McCarthy wasn’t looking for a blistering time; this was to be a pre-Derby breeze simply as a barometric reading of how his athlete was feeling as well as delivering Journalism the tonic of getting him out and moving.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Quintessential poured a spirited selection of higher-proof options, including gin and tonics made with Feather & Folly Gin and a selection of flavors from Tia Linda’s Margarita.
    The editors of SAVEUR and Full Pour, Saveur, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • During public remarks in 2022, Justice Elena Kagan – one of the court’s three liberal justices − spoke out against sweeping injunctions and the ability of challengers to find one friendly judge to issue such an order.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 12 May 2025
  • Hussain has a friendly, reassuring presence, making the already-simple recipes even less intimidating.
    Katie Rife, EW.com, 11 May 2025
Adjective
  • Within the church, Francis shifted the pastoral practice toward a more hospitable, welcoming attitude toward those who had long felt excluded.
    John Bacon, USA Today, 2 May 2025
  • This genetic isolation, the authors of the study reasoned, suggested the region likely wasn’t a migration corridor that linked sub-Saharan Africa to Northern Africa despite the Sahara’s hospitable conditions at the time.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • With an intensive course of anti-tuberculosis antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory drug, the man's symptoms gradually began to ease.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 May 2025
  • Married since 2013, the couple started trying for their fourth baby with the help of fertility drugs.
    Sam Gillette, People.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • An 'awakening for the Republicans'? Will Cole, a functional medicine practitioner, has known Kennedy for almost a decade.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 4 May 2025
  • From the moment of her diagnosis, she was forced into a reckoning far deeper than medicine could reach.
    Carissa Talmage, People.com, 2 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cordial. Accessed 14 May. 2025.

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