What does bonhomie mean?
Bonhomie is a noun describing cheerful friendliness — the genial, good-natured warmth that some people show naturally and easily toward others. A person with bonhomie is relaxed, affable, and genuinely pleased to be in company, putting those around them at ease without effort or affectation. The word is borrowed from French, where it derives from 'bonhomme' meaning 'good man', and entered English usage around the early nineteenth century. It appears most often in written English — profiles, reviews, obituaries, and reportage — where writers reach for it to capture a personality's sunny openness: a politician's air of bonhomie on the campaign trail, or a host's easy bonhomie at a dinner party. Its connotations are wholly positive, implying warmth that is sincere rather than performed. Though somewhat formal or literary in register, it remains a precise and evocative way to name a quality that plainer words like 'friendliness' fail to fully capture.
nounCheerful friendliness and good-natured ease in one's manner toward others; genial, unaffected warmth of disposition.
- Cheerful friendliness or geniality of manner; warm, good-humored sociability.
"The new manager's easy bonhomie quickly put the whole team at ease."
"His unfailing bonhomie made even the dullest office meetings something to look forward to."
"The two rivals exchanged handshakes with evident bonhomie before the match began."
Rarely used; bonhomie is almost always treated as uncountable, so a plural form exists but is uncommon.
"The memoir contrasts the bonhomies of two very different statesmen."
Borrowed wholesale from the French, bonhomie literally traces back to 'good man' — so when someone radiates it, they're being exactly what the word says: a good fellow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bonhomie
Bonhomie was adopted into English from French in the early nineteenth century. It derives from the Old French 'bonhomme', meaning 'good man', formed from the Latin roots 'bonus' (good) and 'homo' (man). The same Latin ancestry underlies related borrowings such as 'bona fide' and 'bonus'. The word has always retained its original sense of good-fellowship, with no shift in meaning since its adoption.
How bonhomie is actually used
A somewhat literary or elevated word, common in journalism and descriptive prose rather than everyday conversation. It carries an entirely positive connotation of genuine, unforced warmth — not mere politeness. In British usage it is often associated with public figures and clubbable personalities.
Easily confused with bonhomie
Bonhomie refers to cheerful good nature, while a bon mot is a clever or witty remark.