cordial

¹cor·dial

adj \ˈkȯr-jəl\

Definition of CORDIAL

1

obsolete : of or relating to the heart : vital

2

: tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate <bottles full of excellent cordial waters — Daniel Defoe>

3

a : sincerely or deeply felt <a cordial dislike for each other> b : warmly and genially affable <cordial relations>

— cor·dial·ly \ˈkȯrj-lē, ˈkȯr-jə-\ adverb

— cor·dial·ness \ˈkȯr-jəl-nəs\ noun

Examples of CORDIAL

1. We received a cordial greeting from our hostess at the party.
2. The two nations have maintained cordial relations.
3. … Conrad Black was cordial and not the least rumbustious. —Calvin Trillin, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2001
4. Though its chairman, Charles Obi, was cordial to him, the others made it clear that they didn't want him. —Ishmael Reed, Japanese by Spring, 1993
5. My reception was cordial enough … —Robert Frost, 7 Jan. 1913, in Selected Letters of Robert Frost, edited by Lawrance Thompson, 1964
6. Mr. Price now received his daughter; and having given her a cordial hug, and observed that she was grown into a woman … —Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

Origin of CORDIAL

Middle English, from Medieval Latin cordialis, from Latin cord-, cor heart — more at heart

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CORDIAL

Synonyms: amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, friendly, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, matey [chiefly British], neighborly, palsy, palsy-walsy [slang], warm, warmhearted

Antonyms: antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly

Related Words: affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet; clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social; jolly, jovial, merry; extroverted (also extraverted), outgoing; brotherly, fraternal, sisterly; close, familiar, intimate; adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted

Near Antonyms: alienated, estranged; chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry (also wintery); unsociable, unsocial; aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent; inhospitable, inimical

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Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral