View definitions for companionable

companionable

adjective as in friendly

Discover More

Example Sentences

It’s companionable, with casts made to feel like family, and the long seasons mean that practically any show you throw in with, good, bad or indifferent, will have a chance to grow on you.

From Los Angeles Times

Fran and Owen have been chatting for only a few minutes, not all that companionably, when he asks her out.

From New York Times

“We’re well on target for the islet,” he said, with what he hoped was a companionable casualness.

From Literature

"On each occasion, the tree has been a witness not only to our companionable day's walking, but also to the journeys of each of our lives," he said.

From BBC

Adam’s silence can seem sweetly companionable one moment and freighted with trauma the next.

From Los Angeles Times

Discover More

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for companionable?

Describing someone as companionable means that they are pleasant to be with or be around. It often means that they are (or at least have the makings of) a good companion or friend.

Words that suggest a similar sense of friendliness and comfort include congenial and affable. The word simpatico can mean the same thing.

A person who is described as companionable is often compatible with their companion or friend.

The word companionable isn’t only applied to people. The phrase companionable silence, for example, refers to the kind of silence that occurs between people who are comfortable enough with each other that they can be in each other’s presence without always needing to speak.

What is the opposite (antonym) of companionable?

Words that suggest the opposite of companionable include unfriendly and antagonistic. These suggest that a person is the opposite of what makes a good companion—that they are cold or perhaps even hostile.

The opposite of a companionable silence is an awkward silence, which suggests a lack of closeness or ease.

How do you use companionable in a sentence?

Companionable isn’t used all that often, perhaps because it sounds a bit too formal to describe a person you’re familiar or comfortable with.

Here are some examples of companionable in a sentence:

I did all I could to be friendly and companionable, but no one seemed to have any interest in talking with me.
We spent the plane ride in companionable silence, occasionally pointing out passages in the books we were reading.
I had a most companionable conversation with the new principal—I think we’ll get on quite well.

Browse