Cordial — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈkȯr-jəl/ cor·dial

Meaning & Definition of Cordial

Cordial (adjective)

  1. showing or marked by warm and often hearty friendliness, favor, or approval, politely pleasant and friendly
  2. sincerely or deeply felt
  3. tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate

Cordial (noun)

  1. liqueur
  2. a stimulating medicine or drink

Cordial (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing kindly feeling and sincere interest

    "a cordial inquiry about her mother's health"

    similar: 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
    related: affable, agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, nice, sweet, clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, hospitable, sociable, social, jolly, jovial, merry, extroverted, outgoing, brotherly, fraternal, sisterly, close, familiar, intimate, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted
    opposite: antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly
    near: alienated, estranged, chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry, unsociable, unsocial, aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, inhospitable, inimical

  2. showing a natural kindness and courtesy especially in social situations

    "a cordial hostess who makes sure everyone is comfortable"

    similar: affable, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable
    related: agreeable, amiable, benign, benignant, congenial, convivial, friendly, kind, kindly, neighborly, accommodating, obliging, considerate, courteous, polite, thoughtful, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, urbane, approachable, attentive, outgoing
    opposite: inhospitable, ungenial, ungracious, unsociable
    near: boorish, churlish, abrupt, blunt, brusque, curt, gruff, sharp, snippy, antisocial, disagreeable, discourteous, ill-mannered, impolite, rude, sullen, surly, uncivil, unfriendly, unkind, unmannerly, crabbed, crabby, cross, crusty, grumpy

  3. having a renewing effect on the state of the body or mind

    "he insisted that a cordial nip of brandy would be just the thing for someone suffering from shock"

    similar: bracing, invigorating, refreshing, rejuvenating, restorative, reviving, stimulating, stimulative, tonic, vital, vitalizing
    related: life-giving, conditioning, strengthening, animating, exhilarating, exhilarative, quickening, sharp, corrective, curative, curing, medicinal, rectifying, recuperative, reformative, reformatory, rehabilitative, remedial, remedying, reparative, therapeutic, beneficial, healthful, healthy, helpful, salubrious, salutary, wholesome
    near: deadening, debilitating, draining, enervating, enfeebling, exhausting, numbing, sapping, weakening, wearying, deleterious, injurious, pernicious, insalubrious, noxious, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome

Cordial (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in tonic, potion

    similar: potion, tonic, cure, drug, medicament, medication, medicinal, medicine, pharmaceutical, physic, remedy, specific, cure-all, nostrum, panacea, botanical, patent medicine, prescription, prescription drug, miracle drug, wonder drug, cap, capsule, pill, tablet, injection, shot, embrocation, liniment, lotion, ointment, poultice, salve, syrup, tincture

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Cordial

The most common words with a similar meaning to Cordial:

Chiefly British: matey
Slang: palsy-walsy
amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, friendly, genial, hail-fellow, hail-fellow-well-met, hearty, neighborly, palsy, warm, warmhearted, affable, gracious, hospitable, sociable, bracing, invigorating, refreshing, rejuvenating, restorative, reviving, stimulating, stimulative, tonic, vital, vitalizing, potion, cure, drug, medicament, medication, medicinal, medicine, pharmaceutical, physic

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Cordial

Words with the opposite meaning of Cordial:

antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly, inhospitable, ungenial, ungracious, unsociable

Related Words for Cordial

agreeable, approachable, good-natured, good-tempered, nice, sweet, clubby, convivial, folksy, gregarious, social, jolly, jovial, merry, extroverted, outgoing, brotherly, fraternal, sisterly, close, familiar, intimate, adoring, affectionate, devoted, fond, lovesome, loving, tender, tenderhearted

Near Antonyms of Cordial

alienated, estranged, chilly, cold, cold-blooded, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, icy, wintry, unsocial, aggressive, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, inimical, boorish, churlish, abrupt, blunt, brusque, curt

Word Forms of Cordial

Derived words: cordially (adverb), cordialness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Cordial

Middle English cordiall "of the heart, cardiac, invigorating, deeply felt," borrowed from Medieval Latin cordiālis, from Latin cord-, cor "heart" + -iālis -ial

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Cordial

Frequently Asked Questions about Cordial

What does "Cordial" mean?

"Cordial" means showing or marked by warm and often hearty friendliness, favor, or approval, politely pleasant and friendly. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: showing or marked by warm and often hearty friendliness, favor, or approval, politely pleasant and friendly. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Cordial"?

Other words for "Cordial" include amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely and friendly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Cordial" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Cordial"?

There are 140 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Cordial". Common alternatives include amicable, bonhomous, buddy-buddy, chummy, collegial, companionable, comradely, friendly, genial and hail-fellow.

What is the opposite of "Cordial"?

Antonyms of "Cordial" include antagonistic, hostile, unfriendly, inhospitable, ungenial, ungracious and unsociable. Near antonyms include alienated, estranged, chilly and cold.

How do you use "Cordial" in a sentence?

Examples of "Cordial" in a sentence: "a cordial inquiry about her mother's health"; "a cordial hostess who makes sure everyone is comfortable"; "he insisted that a cordial nip of brandy would be just the thing for someone suffering from shock".

Is "Cordial" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Cordial" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Cordial" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Cordial" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Cordial"?

"Cordial" is pronounced /ˈkȯr-jəl/ and divided into syllables as cor·dial.