Definitions

affable

[af-uh-buhl] / ˈæf ə bəl /

ADJECTIVE

friendly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

amiable approachable courteous genial gentle good-humored good-natured gracious pleasant polite sociable urbane

WEAK

amicable benevolent benign breezy civil clubby congenial cordial kindly mild nice obliging warm

Antonyms

STRONGEST

disagreeable discourteous hateful impolite irritable mean nasty rude uncivil uncivilized unfriendly unhappy unkind unmannerly unrefined unsociable unsophisticated

WEAK

complaining disdainful grouchy grumbling miserable reserved surly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

All of the Knicks are affable like this.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

But when it goes away, so do our nightly doses of Colbert’s affable clowning, the kind that irritates thin-skinned despots in a way other comics can’t quite match.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

An affable, hyper-knowledgeable proprietor in his early 30s, Richardson repairs and resells analog music technology from the 1980s or earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

According to the affable 38-year-old, ultra-violent or supernatural stories -- from Netflix's "Stranger Things" to gaming favourite "Resident Evil" -- work as a sort of pressure valve.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

One of the people working with Rutherford was a mild and affable young Dane named Niels Bohr.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Vocabulary lists containing affable

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Positive Words to Describe a Person

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!