different between affable vs congenial

English

Etymology

French affable, Latin aff?bilis, from affor (“I address”), from ad + for (“speak, talk”). See fable.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?æf.?.b?l/

Adjective

affable (comparative more affable, superlative most affable)

1. Receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; friendly, courteous, sociable.
   • 1912: James Burrill Angell, The Reminiscences Of James Burrill Angell, chapter ix "Mission To The Ottoman Empire"

     Furthermore, I may say, that the Sultan was always most affable to me in my interviews with him, even when I had to discuss some missionary questions. In fact, I never saw any traces of the difficulties which Mr. Terrell reported.

2. Mild; benign.
   • 1998: Alexia Maria Kosmider, Tricky Tribal Discourse, page 84

     During more affable weather, the four friends congregate outside, sometimes leaning their hickory chairs against a "catapa" tree...

Synonyms

• (friendly, courteous): accessible, civil, complaisant, courteous, friendly, gracious, personable
• (mild, benign): benign, mild, warm

Antonyms

• inaffable

Derived terms

• affability
• affableness
• affably

Related terms

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “affable”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin aff?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.fabl/
• Rhymes: -abl
• Homophone: affables

Adjective

affable (plural affables)

1. affable, amicable, sociable

Related terms

• affablement
• affabuler
• affabilité

Further reading

• “affable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

con- +? genial

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /k?n?d??i?ni?l/

Adjective

congenial (comparative more congenial, superlative most congenial)

1. Having the same or very similar nature, personality, tastes, habits or interests.
   • 1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, XIX:

     No sluggish tide congenial to the glooms; / This, as it frothed by, might have been a bath / For the fiend's glowing hoof - to see the wrath / Of its black eddy bespate with flakes and spumes.

2. Friendly or sociable.

   The congenial bartender makes the Hog’s Head an inviting place to hang out during the weekends.

3. Suitable to one’s needs.
   • 1961, J. A. Philip, Mimesis in the Sophistês of Plato, in Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association 92, page 453-468:

     What was it that made this notion of mimesis, in spite of its inherent difficulties that only the dialectical method enables him to avoid, seem so useful and congenial to Plato?

Antonyms

• uncongenial

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• conga line