good-natured man

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "good-natured man" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who is friendly, pleasant, and easy to get along with. For example, "He is a good-natured man who always brings joy to our gatherings." Alternative expressions include "easygoing person," "kind-hearted individual," and "friendly fellow."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

Finn is a charming, good-natured man.

The New York Times

An unassuming, good-natured man, he relished the game's esoteric humour.

The Guardian

Another proctor, Russell H. Shangle, a large, good-natured man, first identified ten of the charged students and then was cross-examined by Teitelman and his undergraduate assistant.

Princeton University

But all seemed to be going as planned, and the good-natured man handling the doomed turkeys seemed quite efficient.

The Guardian - Opinion

A stocky, good-natured man of 34 with a sensible buzz cut, Stoll has worked as an air-conditioning repairman in Dallas for six years.

The New York Times - Magazine

He was appreciated by some as a decent and good-natured man who did not begrudge less good-natured people the laughs he engendered.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

Online dating is generally safe, and most people you find will be normal, good-natured men and women who are simply looking for love.

HuffPost

The most good natured man.

The New York Times

I turned around and was facing the man himself, a well-dressed, good-natured gentleman accompanied by media director Adriana LaRota.

Stanford University

Mohammed's father is one of the most good natured men in the world.

The Guardian

By 2006, Michael French — a smart, good-natured, hardworking man — had become someone his wife, Ruth, felt she hardly knew.

The New York Times - Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use a hyphen in "good-natured" when it acts as a compound modifier preceding the noun it describes.

Common error

Do not confuse the phrase with the noun form "good nature". While you can say a person has a "good nature", you must use the adjectival form "good-natured" when describing the man directly.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "good-natured man" functions as a noun phrase where the compound adjective "good-natured" modifies the head noun "man". According to Ludwig, it is used to attribute a stable personality trait to a subject. The use of the hyphen is a standard orthographic requirement for compound adjectives in the attributive position.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Academia

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Science

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "good-natured man" is a well-established and correct English expression used to describe an individual with a pleasant and friendly temperament. Analysis from Ludwig AI shows that it is a common descriptor in high-quality journalism, particularly in the News & Media category, where it often appears in obituaries, profiles, and literary reviews. Its grammatical status is fully confirmed as Correct, provided that the hyphen is maintained in the compound adjective. Writers should feel confident using this phrase to convey warmth and kindness in a person's character, though they may opt for alternatives like "<a href="/s/amiable+gentleman" target="_blank" rel="alternative">amiable gentleman" for a more formal tone or "<a href="/s/friendly+fellow" target="_blank" rel="alternative">friendly fellow" for casual contexts. Overall, it remains a versatile and highly regarded choice for character description across various levels of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

amiable gentleman

Provides a more formal and slightly more sophisticated tone

friendly fellow

Uses a more casual and approachable tone compared to the original

affable man

Focuses specifically on how easy the person is to talk to

easygoing individual

Shifts the focus toward a relaxed and non-confrontational personality

kind-hearted man

Emphasizes the internal morality and compassion rather than just outward demeanor

pleasant fellow

A simpler alternative that describes the general experience of interacting with him

genial person

Removes the gender specificity while maintaining the sense of warmth

jovial man

Implies a specific type of good nature involving cheerfulness and high spirits

cordial gentleman

Suggests a more polite and slightly more distant form of friendliness

benign individual

Suggests a harmless and gentle nature, often in a more clinical or descriptive context

FAQs

How to use "good-natured man" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe someone's general character, such as: "Despite the stress of the job, he remained a good-natured man who greeted everyone with a smile."

What can I say instead of "good-natured man"?

You can use alternatives like "<a href="/s/amiable+gentleman" target="_blank" rel="alternative">amiable gentleman", "<a href="/s/friendly+fellow" target="_blank" rel="alternative">friendly fellow", or "<a href="/s/easygoing+person" target="_blank" rel="alternative">easygoing person".

Is it "good-natured man" or "good natured man"?

The version with the hyphen, "good-natured man", is the correct grammatical form when the compound adjective precedes the noun.

What is the difference between a "good-natured man" and an <a href="/s/affable+individual" target="_blank" rel="alternative">affable individual?

A "good-natured man" describes someone with an inherently kind and pleasant temperament, while an <a href="/s/affable+individual" target="_blank" rel="alternative">affable individual specifically highlights someone who is easy to approach and talk to.