Word of the Day

: November 7, 2013

bonhomie

noun bah-nuh-MEE

What It Means

: good-natured easy friendliness

bonhomie in Context

Kayla was worried that she wouldn't get along with her new roommates, but their bonhomie quickly put her at ease.

"The discussions today were tinged by a history of difficult exchanges between Netanyahu and Obama. For all the supposed bonhomie of their first encounter at the airport, they have clashed on details and symbolism." - From an article by Massimo Calabresi at time.com, September 30, 2013

Did You Know?

English speakers borrowed "bonhomie" from the French, where the word was created from "bonhomme," which means "good-natured man" and is itself a composite of two other French words: "bon," meaning "good," and "homme," meaning "man." That French compound traces to two Latin terms, "bonus" (meaning "good") and "homo" (meaning either "man" or "human being"). English speakers have warmly embraced "bonhomie" and its meaning, but we have also anglicized the pronunciation in a way that may make native French speakers cringe. (We hope they will be good-natured about it!)