affable

af·fa·ble

(ăf′ə-bəl)

adj.

1. Easy and pleasant to speak to; approachable.

2. Gentle and gracious: an affable smile.

[Middle English affabil, from Old French affable, from Latin affābilis, from affārī, to speak to : ad-, ad- + fārī, to speak; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]

af′fa·bil′i·ty n.

af′fa·bly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

affable

(ˈæfəbəl)

adj

1. showing warmth and friendliness; kindly; mild; benign

2. easy to converse with; approachable; amicable

[C16: from Latin affābilis easy to talk to, from affārī to talk to, from ad- to + fāri to speak; compare fable, fate]

ˌaffaˈbility n

ˈaffably adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

af•fa•ble

(ˈæf ə bəl)

adj.

1. easy to approach and to talk to; friendly: courteous and affable neighbors.

2. showing warmth and friendliness; pleasant: an affable smile.

[1530–40; (< Middle French) < Latin affābilis courteous, affable =affā(rī) to speak to, address (af- af- + fārī to speak; compare fate) + -bilis -ble]

af`fa•bil′i•ty, af′fa•ble•ness, n.

af′fa•bly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.

affable - diffusing warmth and friendliness; "an affable smile"; "an amiable gathering"; "cordial relations"; "a cordial greeting"; "a genial host"

cordial, genial, amiable

friendly - characteristic of or befitting a friend; "friendly advice"; "a friendly neighborhood"; "the only friendly person here"; "a friendly host and hostess"

affable

adjective friendly, kindly, civil, warm, pleasant, mild, obliging, benign, gracious, benevolent, good-humoured, amiable, courteous, amicable, cordial, sociable, genial, congenial, urbane, approachable, good-natured He is an extremely affable and approachable man.
cold, distant, unpleasant, rude, unfriendly, surly, haughty, brusque, unapproachable, unsociable, ungracious, discourteous, stand-offish, uncivil

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

affable

adjective

1. Pleasant and friendly in disposition:

agreeable, amiable, congenial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, pleasant, sociable, warm.

2. Characterized by kindness and warm, unaffected courtesy:

gracious, hospitable.

Translations

أنِيس، لَطِيف، دَمِث

vlídnýpřívětivý

elskværdigomgængeligvenlig

umgänglich freundlich leutselig nett sympathisch

afable amable

mukava

affable aimable amène gentil

viîfelldinn

affabile cortese cortesemente gradevole affabilit...

maloniaimalonusmandagiaimandagumasmandagus

patīkamspieklājīgs

canayakınhoş

affable

[ˈæfəbl] ADJ [person, mood] → afable

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

affable

[ˈæfəb^əl] adj [person, nature] → affable

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

affable

adj, affably

adv → umgänglich, freundlich

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

affable

[ˈæfəbl] adj → affabile

affable

(ˈӕfəbl) adjective

pleasant and easy to talk to. an affable young man.

ˈaffably adverb

ˌaffaˈbility noun

References in classic literature ?

When I overtook them and stopped to say a word, I found them affable and confiding.

View in context

He was very easily approached, being naturally the most affable man in the world.

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They are easy of approach and affable in conversation.

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It's outa sight," he said, parenthetically, with an affable grin.

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He had good teeth, and something affable, when he pleased, in his smile; though naturally his countenance, as well as his air and voice, had much of roughness in it: yet he could at any time deposit this, and appear all gentleness and good-humour.

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If by any possibility you have managed to take the wrong train, you will be handed over to a polite official who will take you whither you belong and bestow you with many an affable bow.

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He approved highly of the giant Morgante, because, although of the giant breed which is always arrogant and ill-conditioned, he alone was affable and well-bred.

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By an effort he made himself affable and entertaining; he never let himself be angry, he never asked for anything, he never complained, he never scolded.

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On the other hand, Miss Wilson was as affable and courteous as heart could wish, and though I was in no very conversable humour myself, the two ladies between them managed to keep up a pretty continuous fire of small talk.

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On the previous day Stepan Arkadyevitch had appeared at the office in a uniform, and the new chief had been very affable and had talked to him as to an acquaintance.

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Amidst this assemblage of all that was insignificant and defective, much that was vicious and repulsive (by that last epithet many would have described the two or three stiff, silent, decently behaved, ill-dressed British girls), the sensible, sagacious, affable directress shone like a steady star over a marsh full of Jack-o'-lanthorns; profoundly aware of her superiority, she derived an inward bliss from that consciousness which sustained her under all the care and responsibility inseparable from her position; it kept her temper calm, her brow smooth, her manner tranquil.

View in context

The Indian Government, being in an unusually affable mood, gave orders that he was to be civilly treated and shown everything that was to be seen.