How to Use genial in a Sentence

genial

adjective
  • The tone is genial, the humor just a little offbeat and not at all off-putting.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2022
  • The genial race caller is the host for our weekly previews and other musings.
    — John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2021
  • The teacher, a genial guy who’d come up in the area, indulged my interest in the science of waves.
    — E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2023
  • His birthday parties were sprawling, genial affairs, with kids, dogs, food, movies.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2023
  • Each face-off starts off genial, so Christian tries to stir up some drama about why so-and-so picked such-and-such for war.
    — Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 28 July 2023
  • The adult table has empty chairs, one once belonging to the genial head of the family.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2024
  • Compared with old-school brawlers like Sandage, today’s researchers are a genial and cautious bunch.
    — Corey S. Powell, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2019
  • The surgeon — a more genial and forthcoming one this time — can fit me in; the oncologist will see me.
    — Seyward Darby, Longreads, 2 Sep. 2022
  • Favoring fleece vests, Youngkin sought to cut the image of a genial suburban dad.
    — Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2021
  • In Sport, power delivery was more genial than jolting.
    — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
  • What’s evident from the start, though, is the mix of goofiness and genial weirdness that would become her trademark.
    — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • That was Wilson, the genial leather-breeches maker, shoving a soldier to his knees.
    — Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
  • What is this disconnect between the genial vanilla of the mind and its heady, almost unruly scent and flavor?
    — Ligaya Mishan Melody Melamed, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023
  • And the spirit is as genial and relaxed as that river-tubing Hill Country town.
    — Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Sep. 2021
  • While Heine played the genial front-man, Yates oversaw operations.
    — oregonlive, 9 Oct. 2021
  • His manner is that of a genial dinner party host who has a doozy tale to unfold — one his guests might be more eager to savor than the meal itself.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
  • But one prominent friend stayed through all the ceremonies over a couple of days, genial and relaxed like a favorite uncle.
    — Forbes Wealth Team, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023
  • The portrait that emerges is more complicated than the common views of Franklin as either a smug bourgeois or a genial old man.
    — New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021
  • Carlos, the genial host and himself an ardent art lover, added a warm welcoming Miami touch of his own.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
  • The half bath, the powder room’s more genial, practical cousin, took a similar path from rarity to routine.
    — Kelsey Keith, ELLE Decor, 17 Feb. 2021
  • An institute benefits from the presence of the most famous logician of his age, even as a genial presence.
    — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2021
  • In fact, Friday seemed a day without minuses, offering genial warmth and the light of a full moon on a foggy morning.
    — Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2022
  • When the curtain rises we’re greeted by a genial genie, played by Marcus Martin.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Nov. 2022
  • What is absent is the kind of breezy, genial belletristic running commentary on the events being narrated.
    — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022
  • Hundreds of shows and tens of thousands of hours have aired after primetime, offering a good hang and a genial laugh to ease us from waking worry into sleep.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The tempo of the kitchen increases when the house is full, though a certain genial informality prevails in the great dining room.
    — David Denby, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
  • And while its results on that front are mixed at best, a likable cast and genial sense of humor nevertheless make for a generally pleasant time.
    — Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Mar. 2022
  • Favoring fleece vests, Youngkin sought to cut the image of a genial suburban dad, often opening meetings with prayer.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 3 Nov. 2021
  • Crist himself has been a victim of that ideological drift and the sense among many observers that his era of genial moderation has passed in this state.
    — Kartik Krishnaiyer, The New Republic, 11 Oct. 2022
  • The locals immediately agreed and the stars were easily adopted by the pub's genial patrons.
    — Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'genial.' 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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