amiable means friendly; kind; sweet; gracious.
amiable is pronounced /ˈeɪ.mi.ə.bəl/.
Why “amiable” is a great word
Having a pleasant and friendly disposition; good-natured and likable. From Middle English *amyable*, from Old French *amiable*, from Late Latin *amīcābilis* ("friendly"), from Latin *amīcus* ("friend"), from *amō* ("to love"), its meaning influenced by Latin *amābilis* ("lovable"); first attested in English in the late 14th century. Unlike "amicable" (which describes a peaceable state of affairs) or "affable" (which emphasizes social ease and approachability), "amiable" describes a deeper, more constant warmth of character. It is the soft light in a neighbor’s window on a winter evening, the patient tolerance of a dog listening to a child’s secrets, and the quiet, steady goodwill that makes a person genuinely pleasant to be around—the unremarkable, irreplaceable grace of being loved not for what you do, but for how you are.
Etymology
From Middle English amyable, from Old French amiable, from Late Latin amīcābilis (“friendly”), from Latin amīcus (“friend”), from amō (“love”, verb). The meaning has been influenced by French amiable and Latin amābilis (“loveable”) (whence English aimable and amable). Doublet of amicable. Compare with amorous, amability.
adj
- Friendly; kind; sweet; graciouse.g.“an amiable temper”
- Of a pleasant and likeable nature; kind-hearted; easy to likee.g.“an amiable person”
Words closest in meaning
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