Definitions

cordial

[kawr-juhl, -dee-uhl] / ˈkɔr dʒəl, -di əl /

ADJECTIVE

friendly, sociable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

affectionate amicable cheerful congenial cozy earnest gracious heartfelt hearty jovial neighborly polite sincere sympathetic warm warmhearted welcoming

STRONG

glowing heart-to-heart social tender

WEAK

affable agreeable buddy-buddy clubby companionable convivial genial happy invigorating mellow palsy-walsy red-carpet responsive wholehearted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cold cool disagreeable insincere rude sad uncaring unconcerned unenthusiastic unfeeling unfriendly unhappy unkind unsociable unsympathetic

WEAK

aloof hostile indifferent inhospitable uncordial unpleasant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Japan and India both historically have maintained cordial relations with Iran, although they grudgingly complied with US sanctions aimed at stopping all other countries from buying Iranian oil.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Monsanto—about a 186-mile drive northeast of Lisbon—is Portugal at its most primal and pagan, yet with postcards and cordial citizenry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The cordial conversation Monday lasted about eight minutes, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told journalists Wednesday during her regular morning news conference.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

A source told the BBC the tone of the discussion between Hegseth and Amodei was cordial, but Amodei laid out what Anthropic considers to be its red lines.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

A surge of pride ran through Koffi as Jabir stepped forward with his fluffy brown dogs and offered both a smile and a cordial bow to the Mutungas.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Vocabulary lists containing cordial

Grade 9, List 2

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More Positive Words to Describe a Person

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Body Language: Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart")

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