cordial

/ˈkɔːdiəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɔːrdʒəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯr-jəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkɔː.di.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɔːr.dʒəl/ (ame, ipa)

cordial — 形容詞

  • cordialpositive
  • more cordialcomparative
  • most cordialsuperlative

1. behaving in a way that is warm and pleasant, while still keeping the formality e

1.形容詞B2
釋義

熱誠有禮

態度友善熱心但保持正式禮節

behaving in a way that is warm and pleasant, while still keeping the formality expected in professional or social settings

例句

Omar offered the visiting diplomats a cordial welcome at the embassy gates.

Omar 在大使館門口以熱誠有禮的態度歡迎來訪的外交官。

cordial + welcome — formal warmth in official settings

The email from Dev was cordial in tone but made no promises about funding.

Dev 的電子郵件語氣熱誠有禮，但對資金問題未作任何承諾。

同義詞
  • friendly

    broader and less formal; can describe close personal bonds

  • warm

    suggests genuine emotional heat rather than polite distance

  • amiable

    similar formality but emphasises easygoing pleasantness more than politeness

  • genial

    stresses cheerful, sociable warmth rather than correctness

反義詞
  • cold
  • hostile
  • frosty

    emphasises chilly, unwelcoming formality — the direct opposite of cordial warmth

文法句型

cordial + welcome/relations/manner/greeting

be + cordial

用法筆記

Describes formal social warmth, not deep personal friendship. Someone can be cordial without being a close friend — the word marks a respectful and pleasant distance more than genuine closeness.

常見錯誤

❌She was very cordial with her husband after work.
✅She was very warm with her husband after work.
💡cordial suggests a degree of formality; it sounds odd describing intimacy between close family members.
❌I find him really cordial — we tell each other everything.
✅I find him really friendly
💡we tell each other everything.' — cordial does not imply deep personal trust or closeness, only polite warmth.

2. used to describe a negative feeling — particularly dislike or hatred — that some

2.形容詞C1
釋義

強烈的

感受極深，尤指反感或厭惡

used to describe a negative feeling — particularly dislike or hatred — that someone experiences with full intensity and no reservation

例句

Dara felt a cordial dislike for the reporter who had twisted her words.

Dara 對那個扭曲她言論的記者感到強烈的厭惡。

cordial + dislike — intensifies a negative feeling

There was cordial hatred between the two rival coaches throughout the season.

兩位敵對教練之間存在著強烈的仇恨，整個賽季都是如此。

同義詞
  • intense

    a more common and general word for strong feelings of any kind

  • fervent

    suggests passionate, burning intensity, often for beliefs or hopes

  • profound

    emphasises depth rather than heat; works for both positive and negative feelings

  • deep-seated

    stresses that the feeling is long-established and firmly rooted

反義詞

文法句型

cordial + dislike/hatred/loathing/contempt

用法筆記

Almost always followed by a noun naming a negative emotion (dislike, hatred, loathing, contempt). This sense is attributive only — you cannot say *'the dislike was cordial.'

常見錯誤

❌She had a cordial love for her children.
✅She had a deep love for her children.
💡this sense of cordial almost always pairs with negative feelings, not positive ones.

cordial — 名詞