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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

bonhomie en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˌboʊ-/ (General-American)
  • /ˈbɒnəmiː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˌbɑnəˈmi/ (General-American)
  • /ˈbɑnəmi/ (General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

PIE word *dʰéǵʰōm Borrowed from French bonhomie, bonhommie (“good-heartedness; extreme credulity”), from bonhomme (“chap, fellow; courageous man; peasant; unwise man who allows himself to be deceived and dominated”) (from bon (“good”) + homme (“man”)) + -ie (suffix forming feminine, usually abstract, nouns).

Meanings

  1. (uncountable, usually) A friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner; an affable and approachable disposition; friendliness.
    • His ungainly person and awkward manners were against him with men accustomed to the graces of society, and he was not sufficiently at home to give play to his humor and to that bonhomie which won the hearts of all who knew him. 1849, Washington Irving, chapter XIV, in Life of Oliver Goldsmith, revised edition, Chicago, Ill.: Belford-Clarke Co., →OCLC, page 106:
    • [T]he unknown Arlo Guthrie takes the stage, ending up in the movie, and – through sheer bonhomie – selling a million copies of Alice's Restaurant. 2019 August 15, Bob Stanley, “‘Groovy, groovy, groovy’: listening to Woodstock 50 years on – all 38 discs”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Jan 2022:
    • While Mr. Romney was used to being the man in charge, as a former CEO, governor, and presidential nominee, Mr. Curtis has spent the last seven years in Congress quietly developing a reputation for bipartisan bonhomie. 2025 January 28, Cameron Joseph, “Meet Mitt Romney’s replacement – who could make or break the Trump agenda”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
  2. (uncountable, usually) An atmosphere of friendliness and good cheer.
  3. (countable, usually) A cheerful remark.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
bonhomies Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

unfriendliness · hostility

Deriveds

bonhomous

Synonyms

conviviality · friendliness · amiability · affability · amicability · affability · cordiality · geniality · geniality · bonhomie · pleasantness · warmth · craic · approachability

Translations (17)

ru доброду́шие (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · es bonhomía (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · ka გულკეთილობა (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · ru дружелю́бие (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · pl jowialność (atmosphere of friendliness and good cheer) · ro bună dispoziție (atmosphere of friendliness and good cheer) · ca bonhomia (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · ro bonomie (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · it bonomia (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · es amigable (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · es cordial (atmosphere of friendliness and good cheer) · fr bonhomie (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · nl hartelijkheid (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · pl dobroduszność (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · nl jovialiteit (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · pt simpatia (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness) · ru панибра́тство (friendly, good-natured, pleasant manner — see also friendliness)