genial
/ˈd͡ʒinjəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.72 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Friendly and cheerful; enlivening.
adj
Pleasantly mild and warm.
adj
Contributing to, or concerned in, propagation or production; generative; procreative; productive.
Archaic
adj
Relating to or resembling a genius (Roman tutelary deity).
Example Sentences
- "a genial glow"
- "Such a face was calculated to awaken not only the calm sentiment of esteem, the distant one of admiration, but some feeling more tender, genial, intimate—friendship, perhaps, affection, interest."
- "This genial girl, like her brother, was in the grand situation of having no home and of carrying on life, such a splendid kind of life, by successive visits to relations; […]."
- "There had been the shine of candles, and the laughter of the women, the old Judge's genial humor."
- "George Relph plays the part of the Vicar of the Parish, a railway enthusiast, who becomes amateur engine driver, with Sir Godfrey Tearle (the Bishop) as his fireman, while Stanley Holloway is the genial toper who provides the cash to buy the line."
- "[Abdullah] Shami, a genial and open-faced man of forty-five, greeted me warmly."
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French génial, borrowed from Latin geniālis (“of or pertaining to marriage; festive”), from genius (“guardian spirit”) + -ālis.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: γένειον
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈd͡ʒinjəl/
- British English: /ˈdʒiːnɪəl/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more genial (comparative)
most genial (superlative)