English Reference
Adjective

genial

adj.
C2 Proficiency US /ˈdʒinjəɫ/ UK /dʒˈiːnɪəl/ ge·nial Anatomy

adj.friendly and pleasant in a way that makes people feel comfortable. You use this to describe someone who is warm and easy to talk to.

adj.friendly, pleasant, and good-natured. Often used to describe a person's disposition or a social atmosphere.


SIMPLE

The host was very genial and made everyone feel welcome.

CONTEXTUAL

Despite the long hours and difficult tasks, the manager maintained a genial attitude that kept the team motivated.

COMPLEX

The retired professor was known for his genial nature, often spending his evenings in the library chatting with students about literature and philosophy.

The usually genial country has been bitterly divided over a vote this weekend on whether to enter membership talks with the European Union.

The New York Times· 28 Aug 2026

In conversation, the genial Healy then volunteers a droll story of teenage infidelity, a drunken tryst with a girl from another part of Glasgow, which he wrongly thinks will insulate him from discovery.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From Middle French génial, from Latin geniālis (“of or pertaining to marriage; festive, genial”), from genius (“guardian spirit”) + -ālis.

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek γένειον (géneion, “chin”) + -al.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin genialis
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated