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Did you know?
The Gender of an affable Personality?
One of the peculiarities of the English language is that ungendered words (especially nouns) may occasionally take gendered pronouns or modifiers. A ship, for example, is often called "she." We also find that some general-purpose words (especially adjectives) tend to be used of one sex rather than the other. Such is the case with affable, which our records show is far more likely to be used to describe a man than a woman. This should not be taken as evidence that men are friendlier or easier to speak with (nor should you shy away from describing a woman as affable), but it does serve to illustrate the manner in which the word is often used.
Synonyms
Examples of affable in a Sentence
Lev Grossman, Time, 7 Feb. 2005
In repose, he can be affable and quite funny. But woe betide anyone who crosses him or who fails to perform to his demanding standards.
—Anthony Bianco et al., Business Week, 9 Sept. 2002
The owner emerged from a galley kitchen … to explain that the restaurant was supposed to be closed. This roly-poly man with graying locks above a noble, high forehead was affable and articulate, not your average short-order cook.
—John Krich, San Francisco Examiner, 21 Aug. 1994
a lively, affable young fellow
as the show's affable host, she keeps the freewheeling gabfest from getting out of hand
David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024
His subjects articulate the dead-eyed fear and deep confusion many of them can not shake about what happened to them that day; the emotional spectrum of these young Israelis stretches from shell-shocked to rage-filled to affable to ashamed.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024
Dwayne Cunningham, an affable former Ringling Bros. circus clown, had worked with the Rosaires at the Big Cat Habitat and served prison time for reptile smuggling.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2024
The coming-of-age story boasted a noteworthy ensemble, including Zoe Saldaña, Taryn Manning and Kim Cattrall, with Shonda Rhimes debuting her first screenplay — but despite Spears’ affable charm translating well to the silver screen, the movie didn’t hit the mark with critics.
—James Dinh, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Affable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affable. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
affable
adjective
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