bonhomie
noun
Jean Stafford
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English speakers borrowed bonhomie from 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!)
Examples of bonhomie in a Sentence
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024
Those sessions laid the groundwork for decades of mutual respect that led to reunions between Clinton and the Chili Peppers in recent years in Australia and L.A.
That bonhomie also speaks to a larger part of Clinton’s legacy: his ability to bring out the best in artists.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2024
Among the criteria: a frigid winter setting, stylish coats, and an atmosphere of loneliness tempered by glowy bonhomie.
—The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2023
Nick Duckworth and Josh Evans, two Australian friends, opened Banter on Sullivan Street in SoHo in 2017 as a neighborhood coffee shop, brunch and luncheon eatery, sprinkled with a large dose of Australian bonhomie.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Song doesn’t countenance Oriental politeness or urban American bonhomie.
—Armond White, National Review, 8 Dec. 2023
But the bipartisan bonhomie on the issue shifted in 2017, when Republicans narrowly passed massive tax cut legislation promoted by President Donald Trump.
—Grace Segers, The New Republic, 13 July 2023
Beyond its celebrity roasts, its line-crossing comedy and a membership that included Johnny Carson, Irving Berlin, Jimmy Fallon and Carol Burnett, the club has been home to many non-entertainers who cherished the bonhomie of its social settings and a certain proximity to fame.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 15 May 2023
Here the façade of bonhomie gets scraped away easily, leaving the rancor exposed like old brick.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bonhomie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bonhomie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonhomie. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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