AFFABLY Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

affably

adverb

Definition of affably

as in amiably

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 affably And Rob Sand, the affably idiosyncratic state auditor who didn’t have a challenger, is officially up for governor. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 Which means right about now, the island is buzzing with thousands of MAMILs (middle aged men in lycra) and affably amateur Brits are arriving by the planeload. — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026 Folks in line on Day One enjoyed a daytime high of 77 degrees, sharing space affably. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026 The disgraced outgoing mayor of New York City is a big personality in a position of power with numerous scandals and gaffes for Fumudoh to prod at in her signature affably combative style. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025 Breakfast that ranges from the familiar to the affably quirky. — Merrill Shindler, Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025 Before long, out of the jungle emerge elephants, affably swaying their trunks and dancing to his music. — Anthony R. Cannella, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025 Over the course of his monologue, O’Brien affably roasted himself for not having had enough work done, Karla Sofía Gascón for her many offensive tweets, and Timothée Chalamet for his baby face. — Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 3 Mar. 2025 The whole operation is manned by producer Cole Walliser, who affably directs A-listers through the rapid-fire shoots. — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affably

Adverb

Maud Ogilvie smiled amiably at Flynn, as if waiting for a challenge.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
One recent evening, the horror director Oren Peli stopped by one such boozer, in an alleyway off the Strand, looked around amiably, and ordered a Coke.

— Anna Russell, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of amiably

Adverb

Part of what fueled the ups and downs was the sense that Paul Baker is genially open to whatever life might throw at him — a personality type engineered to drive the acting-out Issa and the neurotic Anton to distraction.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Waiting to address the group, Larson genially reminisced with a retiree, Joe Suggs, one of his opponents in 1998.

— Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026

Definition of genially

Adverb

In 2016, Brexiteers imagined that other European countries would follow their example and cheerily recover absolute sovereignty as liberated nation-states.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Ashley Graham, co-founder of Lucci Lambrusco, cheerily celebrates the brand at Pizzeria Portofino in Chicago on July 15.

— Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

Definition of cheerily

Adverb

Some of the best scenes are just Owen, Joe, and Terry sharing a meal at their favorite diner, talking openly—and good-naturedly busting each other’s chops—about whatever happens to be going on in their lives.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Sigmund, the artistic director of Stillwater’s Zephyr Theatre, joked good-naturedly.

— Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026

Definition of good-naturedly

Adverb

The Close Encounters director looked back on a mock trial Sheindlin so graciously presided over in honor of his superfan mother’s 90th birthday.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
There have been some updates, so please check the schedule here and come listen to the candidates who've so graciously accepted our invite to speak.

— Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of graciously

Adverb

Witty and fast-paced but still sweetly skeptical of deep connection, the project’s generally snappy script comes alive through Thompson’s impressive ambition and obvious love for strangers.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026
Tonally, The Stunt Driver is something special — very funny but also sweetly sincere.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of sweetly

Browse Nearby Words

affable

affably

affair

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Affably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affably. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of affably

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

heterodox

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes