1
as in gracious
having an easygoing and pleasing manner especially in social situations
a genial host who makes a point of speaking personally to each and every guest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in warm
having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest
genial new neighbors who helped us unpack boxes and brought us dinner our first night in the new place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hospitable
showing a natural kindness and courtesy especially in social situations
his genial offer to give me his seat on the bus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in temperate
marked by temperatures that are neither too high nor too low
wanted to move to a more genial clime for health reasons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 genial
Turan hands me off to his roommate, Rory Carmichael, a genial 39-year-old engineer.
—
Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Still, Rodin prospered under the genial tutelage of Reinhardt and his wife, Helene Thimig.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Lindgren, the genial kind-hearted young hotel general manager who was the consummate promoter, had worked his magic.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
When anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois took over CBS Evening News last year, part of the network’s strategy was to imitate a local news format, with a genial cast of personalities reporting from the field.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for genial
Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Still, Rodin prospered under the genial tutelage of Reinhardt and his wife, Helene Thimig.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Lindgren, the genial kind-hearted young hotel general manager who was the consummate promoter, had worked his magic.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
When anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois took over CBS Evening News last year, part of the network’s strategy was to imitate a local news format, with a genial cast of personalities reporting from the field.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for genial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genial
Adjective
-
At the Gotham Bar, ask the team for Conrad, cheerful and gracious, who can suggest a martini for your mood.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Here, a gracious layout puts the two bedrooms on opposite ends of the apartment, both with room for a king, closets, and, in the case of the primary, an en suite bath.—
Katie McDonough,
Curbed,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Chris and Clare have written an incredibly funny and warm screenplay and Avgousta’s vision and experience promise to make this an enduring festive film.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Ly notes these are often warm, high-friction areas with dense apocrine glands.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Aerating also leads to healthier lawns by creating an environment that is less hospitable to grubs.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
1 May 2026
-
Repair bare spots in the lawn to make your yard less hospitable for ground-nesting bees.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In November or December, that is likely to change, as temperatures drop up north while the climate remains temperate here, and surf swells get notably more ridable.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The controversy stems from the fact that Mars seems to have had temperate climate periods with rain that deeply altered the rocks, as well as widespread rivers and lakes that persisted for potentially millions of years.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Every song hits with the same indistinguishable gush of pleasant pixels.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
-
For a quieter and just as pleasant alternative, October through December offers comfy temperatures and a highly enjoyable local’s vibe.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The two clubs share many similarities beyond playing a friendly in 2014 and doing business in the form of Nicola Sansone’s transfer a decade ago.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
The conversation will revisit favorite character moments from the series and give fans an inside look at the process of filming the animal-friendly period piece.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Aub says that in general, curly hair does best with gentle, hydrating formulas that can both cleanse the scalp without sacrificing the integrity of the curl pattern.—
Aimee Simeon,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
-
Love on the Spectrum — gentle, warm, built on sincerity rather than spectacle — represents an evolution within the genre.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
One thing that makes Vim comfortable for me is the combination of Vim-Airline and Promptline, which together provide a nice status bar that helps highlight some useful info as one is editing a file.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
-
Right now, trends favor nice and pleasant weather Mother's Day morning into mid-afternoon with the chance of rain increasing toward the dinner hour and beyond.—
Cutter Martin,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Genial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genial. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
