bonhomie
noun
Jean Stafford
Did you know?
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
Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
The spirit of bonhomie between them was palpable as some reconnected and others connected for the first time.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025
But despite the initial bonhomie, the decision to appoint Mandelson has backfired on Starmer spectacularly.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
The bonhomie is also notable considering the different approach taken elsewhere.
—Alex González Ormerod, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonhomie
Cite this Entry
“Bonhomie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonhomie. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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