Definitions

cordial

[kawr-juhl, -dee-uhl] / ˈkɔr dʒəl, -di əl /

ADJECTIVE

friendly, sociable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

affectionate amicable cheerful congenial cozy earnest gracious heartfelt hearty jovial neighborly polite sincere sympathetic warm warmhearted welcoming

STRONG

glowing heart-to-heart social tender

WEAK

affable agreeable buddy-buddy clubby companionable convivial genial happy invigorating mellow palsy-walsy red-carpet responsive wholehearted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cold cool disagreeable insincere rude sad uncaring unconcerned unenthusiastic unfeeling unfriendly unhappy unkind unsociable unsympathetic

WEAK

aloof hostile indifferent inhospitable uncordial unpleasant

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.

Japan and India both historically have maintained cordial relations with Iran, although they grudgingly complied with US sanctions aimed at stopping all other countries from buying Iranian oil.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

And while they try to maintain a cordial working relationship, they don’t claim to be good friends.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Instead of being a stumbling block for the EU and Ukraine, Magyar has pledged to seek more cordial ties with Brussels and Kyiv.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

But he said he maintains a cordial relationship with Mamdani and offered advice on the mayor’s proposal to open city-run grocery stores.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

My roommates are cordial, but they're best friends from the same school, so they make it obvious they plan to spend this week together.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Vocabulary lists containing cordial

Grade 9, List 2

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More Positive Words to Describe a Person

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Body Language: Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart")

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