good-natured

adjective

good-na·​tured ˈgu̇d-ˈnā-chərd How to pronounce good-natured (audio)
: of a pleasant and cooperative disposition
good-naturedly adverb
good-naturedness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for good-natured

amiable, good-natured, obliging, complaisant mean having the desire or disposition to please.

amiable implies having qualities that make one liked and easy to deal with.

an amiable teacher not easily annoyed

good-natured implies cheerfulness or helpfulness and sometimes a willingness to be imposed upon.

a good-natured girl who was always willing to pitch in

obliging stresses a friendly readiness to be helpful.

our obliging innkeeper found us a bigger room

complaisant often implies passivity or a yielding to others because of weakness.

was too complaisant to protest a decision he thought unfair

Examples of good-natured in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These monsters are confronted by good-natured and quite frightened politicians. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 After a good-natured debate on the topic, the guys then discuss the Tigers heading to arbitration with former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize over $25,000. Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, 16 Jan. 2024 Iznogoud — France In Ancient Baghdad, its good-natured but idiotic caliph has no idea that his Machiavellian Grand Vizier Iznogoud spends his days scheming the perfect murder in order to usurp the throne. Ernesto Lechner, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024 Teasing, which shares some of the behavioral features of aggression, isn’t always good-natured. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2024 For most of the rest of his career, Keith was a sly humorist, a good-natured blowhard, a chronicler of what really happens below thick skin. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 Victoria Beckham first launched the slogan tees back in November as a good-natured way of poking fun at herself. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 30 Jan. 2024 Only a dose of ribald, good-natured caretaking from one of Choton’s interview subjects, a kothi trans woman named Shou (the delightful Tashnuva Anan), keeps him from floundering. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2024 Sweet childhood memories Angie Fry and Kelly Conwell, both of Kansas City, are engaged in a good-natured competitive piping war. Kimberly Winter Stern, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'good-natured.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of good-natured was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near good-natured

Cite this Entry

“Good-natured.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good-natured. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

good-natured

adjective
good-na·​tured
ˈgu̇d-ˈnā-chərd
: of a pleasant cheerful disposition
good-naturedly adverb
good-naturedness noun

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