good-humoured

IPA/ˌɡʊd ˈhjuːməd/
IPA/ˌɡʊd ˈhjuːmərd/

good-humoured — adjective

1. Someone who is good-humoured has a naturally cheerful and friendly character tha

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Someone who is good-humoured has a naturally cheerful and friendly character that puts other people at ease when they are together.

Example

Ravi's good-humoured nature made him popular with everyone at the office.

good-humoured + nature — describing personality trait

Even during the long delay, the good-humoured flight attendant kept passengers smiling.

good-humoured + professional role noun

Common collocations
  • good-humoured nature
  • good-humoured person
  • good-humoured man
  • good-humoured woman
  • good-humoured teacher
  • good-humoured joke
  • good-humoured remark
  • good-humoured laugh
  • good-humoured smile
  • good-humoured manner
Synonyms
  • cheerful

    More common and slightly more general; can describe a temporary mood or a fixed trait, while good-humoured strongly suggests a stable character

  • good-natured

    Very close in meaning, but places slightly more emphasis on kindness and willingness to help than on cheerfulness

  • amiable

    Slightly more formal; focuses on being likeable and easy to get along with

  • genial

    Suggests warmth and a welcoming manner, often used in writing rather than everyday speech

Antonyms
  • bad-tempered

    The direct opposite — describes someone who is often irritable or angry

  • grumpy

    More informal; describes someone who complains or is in a bad mood, especially in minor everyday situations

  • ill-humoured

    The precise antonym, though less common in modern English

Grammar Patterns

good-humoured + noun

be + good-humoured

Usage Note

Good-humoured often describes a stable aspect of a person's character rather than a temporary mood. The American spelling is good-humored (without the u).

Common Mistakes

I enjoy his good-humoured.
I enjoy his good-humoured personality.
good-humoured is an adjective and must modify a noun; it cannot be used as a noun itself.

Word family

  • good-humouredly
    adverbB2
  • good-humouredness
    nounC1
  • good-humour
    nounC1
  • good-humored
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe pleasant interpersonal qualities, but they differ in scope and register. Cheerful is the most general — it can describe either a passing mood ('She felt cheerful after the good news') or a fixed character ('a cheerful person'), whereas good-humoured is nearly always a stable trait. Good-natured overlaps heavily with good-humoured but stresses a willingness to help others rather than simple cheerfulness: a good-natured colleague will cover your shift, while a good-humoured one will keep the mood light during a crisis. Amiable is more formal and appears often in written descriptions of social encounters ('an amiable host'); it highlights likeability. Genial is the least common of the four and carries connotations of warmth and benevolence, typical of an older, kind figure. For everyday conversation, cheerful and good-natured are the most natural choices; for writing, amiable and genial add stylistic variety.

cheerful ↗good-natured ↗amiable ↗genial ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • always good-humoured
  • generally good-humoured
  • remarkably good-humoured

Phrases

  • in a good-humoured way
  • with a good-humoured smile

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinFrenchEnglish

Good-humoured is formed from good (Old English gōd, meaning 'virtuous, desirable, favourable') and humoured, derived from humour (from Latin umor, 'moisture, fluid'). In medieval medicine, the four bodily fluids (humours) were believed to control a person's temperament — an imbalance caused changes in mood. By the 1500s, humour had come to mean 'mood' or 'state of mind', and good-humoured emerged in the 1600s to describe someone whose temperament was cheerful and balanced.