People differ in how they meet the world. Some greet everyone with a smile, some light up a party, and some keep to themselves. This topic gives you seven words for warmth and three for keeping apart.
Key idea
Friendly: amiable, affable (easy to talk to), genial (warm), jovial (jolly), convivial (lively in company), amicable (peaceful, without quarrels) and charismatic (with a charm that draws people in). Keeping apart: aloof (cool and distant), reticent (says little) and reclusive (lives apart).
The ten words
Common mistake
reticent means reluctant to speak or share, not reluctant in general. amiable describes people; amicable describes relationships and agreements.
| word | what kind of person or thing | you might hear |
|---|---|---|
| amiable | friendly, pleasant | an amiable neighbor |
| affable | easy to talk to | an affable host |
| genial | warm and cheerful | a genial welcome |
| jovial | jolly, full of fun | a jovial laugh |
| convivial | lively in company | a convivial dinner |
| amicable | peaceful, without quarrels | an amicable agreement |
| charismatic | charming, magnetic | a charismatic leader |
| aloof | cool and distant | an aloof stare |
| reticent | says little about himself | reticent about his past |
| reclusive | lives apart from others | a reclusive writer |
Two pairs to watch. Amiable describes people (an amiable host), while amicable usually describes relationships and agreements (an amicable settlement, amicable relations). And reticent means unwilling to speak or share, not unwilling in general: you can be reticent about your feelings, but you are reluctant, not reticent, to clean your room.