affable

adjective

af·​fa·​ble ˈa-fə-bəl 

1

: being pleasant and at ease in talking to others

an affable host

2

: characterized by ease and friendliness

an affable manner

affability

ˌa-fə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Did you know?

Affable comes from Latin affārī, meaning "to speak to." Other fārī relatives—the word itself means "to speak"—are infant, fable, and fate, among others.

Did you know?

The Gender of an affable Personality?

One of the peculiarities of the English language is that ungendered words (especially nouns) may occasionally take gendered pronouns or modifiers. A ship, for example, is often called "she." We also find that some general-purpose words (especially adjectives) tend to be used of one sex rather than the other. Such is the case with affable, which our records show is far more likely to be used to describe a man than a woman. This should not be taken as evidence that men are friendlier or easier to speak with (nor should you shy away from describing a woman as affable), but it does serve to illustrate the manner in which the word is often used.

Synonyms

• breezy
• devil-may-care
• easygoing
• happy-go-lucky
• laid-back
• low-pressure
• mellow

Choose the Right Synonym for affable

gracious, cordial, affable, genial, sociable mean markedly pleasant and easy in social intercourse.

gracious implies courtesy and kindly consideration.

the gracious award winner thanked her colleagues

cordial stresses warmth and heartiness.

our host was cordial as he greeted us

affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals.

though wealthy, she was affable to all

genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality.

a genial companion with a ready quip

sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others.

sociable people who enjoy entertaining

Examples of affable in a Sentence

Bertie's a bright, affable fellow, but every little success he has feels cheapened in comparison with his dad's overpowering accomplishments. —Lev Grossman, Time, 7 Feb. 2005

In repose, he can be affable and quite funny. But woe betide anyone who crosses him or who fails to perform to his demanding standards. —Anthony Bianco et al., Business Week, 9 Sept. 2002

The owner emerged from a galley kitchen … to explain that the restaurant was supposed to be closed. This roly-poly man with graying locks above a noble, high forehead was affable and articulate, not your average short-order cook. —John Krich, San Francisco Examiner, 21 Aug. 1994

a lively, affable young fellow

as the show's affable host, she keeps the freewheeling gabfest from getting out of hand

Recent Examples on the Web

Tim is an affable ol’ cuss, speaking constantly in soft and firm rhymes, showing off his vocal dexterity to the barflies who pull up chairs and sip on pints or some top shelf whiskey in a Massachusetts watering hole. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

His subjects articulate the dead-eyed fear and deep confusion many of them can not shake about what happened to them that day; the emotional spectrum of these young Israelis stretches from shell-shocked to rage-filled to affable to ashamed. —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024

Dwayne Cunningham, an affable former Ringling Bros. circus clown, had worked with the Rosaires at the Big Cat Habitat and served prison time for reptile smuggling. —Lane Brown, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2024

The coming-of-age story boasted a noteworthy ensemble, including Zoe Saldaña, Taryn Manning and Kim Cattrall, with Shonda Rhimes debuting her first screenplay — but despite Spears’ affable charm translating well to the silver screen, the movie didn’t hit the mark with critics. —James Dinh, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English affabyl, borrowed from Anglo-French affable, borrowed from Latin affābilis, from affārī "to speak to, address" (from ad- ad- + fārī "to speak") + -bilis "capable of (being acted upon)" — more at ban entry 1, -able

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

affable

adjective

af·​fa·​ble ˈaf-ə-bəl 

: being at ease and pleasant especially in conversation

an affable host

affability

ˌaf-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

affably

ˈaf-ə-blē 

adverb