good-naturedly

adverb

Definition of good-naturedlynext
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 good-naturedly Sigmund, the artistic director of Stillwater’s Zephyr Theatre, joked good-naturedly. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026 Regardless, everyone approves of Kiana, with Zack good-naturedly parodying her sunglasses and the girls encouraging him to lock it down despite the tumultuous relationships their friend group seems to attract. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 May 2026 Australian screen and stage veteran Kate Fitzpatrick plays Becky, a feisty grandmother whose role is so familiar that her banter with geeky Matt across the aisle (Richard Croughley) will later include him good-naturedly dropping a Shelley Winters reference. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026 Evgeni Malkin was good-naturedly jabbing the media for asking about his future in Pittsburgh. — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 McCartney good-naturedly acknowledged the seating arrangement. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026 Before the game, Wood good-naturedly chatted it up with fans of Montana, which annually travels well. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025 Bertinelli, meanwhile, could be seen laughing good-naturedly nearby, but did not correct the actor. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for good-naturedly
  1. amiably
  2. cheerfully
  3. genially
  4. affably
  5. cheerily
  6. graciously
  7. cordially
  8. sweetly
Adverb
  • Yet director Philip Barantini, while unable to gamely juggle the disparate plot elements, keeps things amiably brisk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • In the gym, the two of them chatted amiably as the Mayor prayed.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Definition of amiably
Adverb
  • Perez handled the decision more cheerfully than fans in Sacramento, which is serving as the A’s temporary home while their new ballpark is being constructed in Las Vegas.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • My second appointment is with Dr Mohit Mangla, the allopathic consultant, who explains cheerfully that Tulåh prioritizes Ayurveda, albeit viewed through the lens of modern medicine.
    — Susan D'Arcy, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026
Definition of cheerfully
Adverb
  • Over 150 episodes, Broski genially but insightfully chats with a wide range of guests, from fellow YouTubers to A-list talent.
    — Randee Dawn, Variety, 26 May 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
  • 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
Definition of affably
Adverb
  • 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
  • If the cheerily rhyming title about murder doesn’t quite do it for you, just Google what the posters look like.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Definition of cheerily
Adverb
  • His only snap last season came once Jones graciously summoned him to take the victory kneel-down over the New York Giants.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • Long ago, a train-riding and hitchhiking tour of several European countries took me to Belgium, where I was graciously taken in by the family of an American friend of mine.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of graciously
Adverb
  • You're cordially invited to a night of fun and games with Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett.
    — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026
  • The two part cordially—Rick expects nothing more.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of cordially
Adverb
  • His equaliser against Norway featured another stomping run and sweetly struck finish, emphatically done all by himself.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 13 July 2026
  • Johansen, sporting an all-black outfit, crouches down next to him and sweetly rests her head on his shoulder.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of sweetly

Browse Nearby Words

good-natured
good-naturedly
good-naturedness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Good-naturedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/good-naturedly. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All