Dictionary

amiable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈeɪ.mi.ə.bəl/
• /ˈæ.mi.ə.bəl/

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.

Meanings

1. Friendly; kind; sweet; gracious.
   • A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
   • amiable ideas
   • He has described himself as the uber-geek, an anorak's anorak, a standard bearer for fellow Star Trekkies everywhere, and his air of bland, amiable bafflement has served him remarkably well in a string of TV and film roles. 2007 February 15, Maev Kennedy, “I used to say he was England's answer to John Cusack. Now I think he's England's answer to Jack Lemmon”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 24 Jan 2025:
   • The sums I have lent him! indeed—I have been exceedingly to blame—it was an amiable weakness! 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, V.i:
   • an amiable temper
2. Of a pleasant and likeable nature; kind-hearted; easy to like.
   • A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
   • My deyſy delectabyll My prymerose commendabyll My vyolet amyabyll My ioye in explicabill Nowe torne agayne to me c. 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott:
   • an amiable person

Forms

Deriveds

amiability · unamiable · amiably · amiableness · inamiable

Relateds

amity · amicable

Synonyms

likable

Translations (118)

cmn 友好 (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · oc amistós (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv vänlig (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cmn 藹然 /蔼然 (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sk láskavý (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sh prijatèljskī (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · fr aimable (possessing sweetness of disposition) · mk симпатичен (possessing sweetness of disposition) · mk дружељубив (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · bg дружелю́бен (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · be прыя́зны (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · bg мил (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv älskvärd (possessing sweetness of disposition) · cmn 友善 (possessing sweetness of disposition) · cs vlídný (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru дру́жественный (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cmn 藹然 /蔼然 (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mi hūmārika (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · de liebenswert (possessing sweetness of disposition) · be дружалю́бны (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · no elskverdig (possessing sweetness of disposition) · bg приве́тлив (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · es amable (possessing sweetness of disposition) · it amabile (possessing sweetness of disposition) · mk љубезен (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · nb elskverdig (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru ми́лый (possessing sweetness of disposition) · pl przyjacielski (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · de liebenswürdig (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · it affettuoso (possessing sweetness of disposition) · mk мил (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cmn 友好 (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sk prívetivý (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru любе́зный (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · oc amistadós (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sh ми̏о (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mk мил (possessing sweetness of disposition) · da elskværdig (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mk пријателски (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · oc gent (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cs přátelský (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · uk при́язний (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mi whakahoahoa (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · fr avenant (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pl przyjazny (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · fr affable (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cs přívětivý (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · bg прия́телски (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru дружелю́бный (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · uk люб'я́зний (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cs přívětivý (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sh пријатѐљскӣ (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · es amable (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · fi rakastettava (possessing sweetness of disposition) · de liebenswert (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ja 愛想のいい (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sv näpen (possessing sweetness of disposition) · be сябро́ўскі (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · it affabile (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sk priateľský (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv ljuv (possessing sweetness of disposition) · uk дружелю́бний (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru симпати́чный (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sh ljȕbazan (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · de liebenswürdig (possessing sweetness of disposition) · cs laskavý (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pt amável (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sl prijazen (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ga grámhar (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sv snäll (possessing sweetness of disposition) · ru приве́тливый (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mi hūmārika (possessing sweetness of disposition) · pt amigável (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sh љу̏базан (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · be прыя́цельскі (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pdt frintlich (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · oc avenent (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pt amigável (possessing sweetness of disposition) · oc amical (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru ми́лый (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mk добродушен (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sl prijáteljski (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru прия́тельский (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv mild (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · hy սիրալիր (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · th เป็นมิตร (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pdt leeftolich (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sh mȉo (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · uk при́ятельський (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cmn 友善 (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru доброду́шный (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ru привлека́тельный (possessing sweetness of disposition) · uk дру́жній (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · de gutmütig (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · bg симпати́чен (possessing sweetness of disposition) · da elskværdig (possessing sweetness of disposition) · uk ласка́вий (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pt amável (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv rar (possessing sweetness of disposition) · ru ла́сковый (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv god (possessing sweetness of disposition) · fr aimable (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · it amabile (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · mi hūmārie (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · oc aimable (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · pt afável (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sv vänlig (possessing sweetness of disposition) · bg мил (possessing sweetness of disposition) · be ла́скавы (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · fi ystävällinen (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · sv ödmjuk (possessing sweetness of disposition) · pl życzliwy (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · ga grámhar (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · bg любе́зен (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · et avatud (possessing sweetness of disposition) · nn elskverdig (friendly as an amiable temper or mood) · cs roztomilý (possessing sweetness of disposition) · sv varsam (friendly as an amiable temper or mood)