Literary notes about affably (AI summary)
In literature, "affably" is used to signal a speaker’s warmth and geniality without having to explicitly describe them as friendly. Authors employ it in dialogue tags to subtly indicate that a comment is made with a courteous, relaxed demeanor, as when an old man inquires cordially about purchasing books [1] or when a character departs with a gentle smile [2]. The adverb enriches character interactions by suggesting an unforced, natural pleasantness, whether it appears in moments of light-hearted conversation alongside authoritative tones [3] or in exchanges that carry an underlying sincerity and approachability [4, 5].
- "You are buying these books for a library?" the old man inquired affably.
— from The Spy: The Story of a Superfluous Man by Maksim Gorky - “So long,” said the other, smiling affably and going on.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - ‘Certainly not,’ said Mr. Pickwick. ‘Not by no means,’ acquiesced Mr. Weller, affably but magisterially.
— from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens - “Well, now, Miss Madenda,” he said, very affably, as Carrie thought, “you go over there.”
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - I saw her make the effort to converse affably with Dr. John on general topics.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë
