Meaning & use
amiability
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A pleasant, friendly nature that makes a person easy to talk to and get along with.
Grammar: No plural or article: She was known for her amiability.
Patterns
- the amiability of someone
- with amiability
The shop owner's amiability brought customers back again and again.
His amiability put the nervous guests at ease.
She greeted every stranger with easy amiability.
Common combinations
- natural amiability
- His natural amiability helped him win friends quickly.
- easy amiability
- She spoke with an easy amiability.
- amiability of manner
- The amiability of his manner calmed the room.
- show amiability
- The mayor showed amiability toward every visitor.
- with great amiability
- The host welcomed them with great amiability.
Synonyms and how they differ
- friendliness
- Friendliness is the common everyday word, while amiability sounds more formal and refers to a lasting personality trait.
- geniality
- Geniality suggests cheerful warmth, often in a host or an older person.
- affability
- Affability stresses being polite and easy to approach, especially for someone of high rank.
- good nature
- Good nature is plainer and suggests general kindness and patience.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: amiability or amicability? amiability or ability?
amiability vs amicability
Amicability describes friendly relations between people or groups, while amiability is a quality of one person's character.
amiability vs ability
Ability is the power to do something and, despite the similar ending, has nothing to do with friendliness.
Practice
Her ___ made even the shy students feel welcome in the class.
Choose one answer.
Amiability means a friendly, pleasant nature, which would make shy students feel welcome. The other nouns suggest unfriendliness or coldness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “amiability”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.