Bonhomie
n.joyful, kindliterary
What it means
Cheerful friendliness that puts people at ease together.
Reach for it when describing relaxed social warmth and good humor
The host's bonhomie soon drew the two reserved tables into one conversation.
Choose between these
6- everyday
plain language for an open welcoming manner is best
not when Friendliness lacks bonhomie's cheerful social ease.
- warm
good fellowship
companionship and mutual goodwill define the group
not when The phrase sounds traditional and may exclude readers outside the circle.
- warm
emotional welcome matters more than liveliness
not when Warmth may be quiet and intimate rather than sociable.
- professional
mutual trust grows from shared experience
not when Camaraderie suggests an in-group and may not welcome newcomers.
- formal
conviviality
lively pleasure in eating, drinking, or gathering together is central
not when Conviviality can imply a festive event rather than everyday good humor.
- formal
a person's warm easy manner is the exact quality
not when Geniality can remain an individual trait rather than a shared atmosphere.
Said against
3- hostility
- coldness
- ill humor
It naturally appears in
3- easy bonhomie
Easy bonhomie developed as the volunteers cooked together.
- air of bonhomie
An air of bonhomie softened the formal awards dinner.
- good-natured bonhomie
Good-natured bonhomie kept the rivalry from turning sharp.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: cheerful friendliness opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.