hospitable - Master This Word
Master this word with our 5-step learning method – Learn English in English
hospitable Word Meanings
- welcoming guests warmly
- showing kindness to strangers
- generous and friendly
hospitable Example Sentences
Example sentences are the start of understanding. Don't rush to memorize. First feel how the word works in a sentence.
hospitable Phonetic & Pronunciation
UK
/hɒsˈpɪtəbl/
US
/hɑˈspɪtəbl/
hospitable Word Etymology
Root: hospit- (from Latin *hospes* meaning 'guest'). Origin: Latin → Old French → English. Memory Image: Picture a warm, inviting home with a fire crackling and guests being treated like family, showcasing the essence of hospitality.
Note 1: These definitions and etymologies are not standard dictionary definitions, but extended explanations provided to help with memorization and understanding of the actual application of words. Through this background information, we strive to make words more vivid and easier to understand, and help you remember their meanings in real life.
Note 2: LexiTalk designs the learning flow around the linguistics principle of “Comprehensible Input.” When learners encounter material that is slightly above their level but still understandable from context, the brain naturally absorbs the language. That’s why we keep every word inside authentic contexts, using examples and associations to help you understand it and use it flexibly.
Read the FAQ explanation of Comprehensible InputReal Context
Hospitable describes people or places that welcome guests warmly and make visitors feel at home. It implies a readiness to share food, space, and time, and to treat strangers with generosity, friendliness, and courtesy. In everyday usage, you might say a host is hospitable if they greet guests with smiles, offer drinks, and go out of their way to ensure everyone is comfortable. A hospitable town or country has welcoming attitudes toward travelers and newcomers. The word suggests a culture that values hospitality as a social virtue, not merely politeness.
Usage Reminders
- 1) Use hospitable for hosts and places that warmly welcome guests.
- 2) It implies active hosting, not just being friendly.
- 3) Commonly pairs with hospitality or hospitably.
- 4) Can describe towns, cities, or countries that welcome travelers.
- 5) Use with to or toward when specifying the recipient.
Common Misconceptions
- Not related to hospitals or hospital settings.
- Not the same as simply being friendly; it implies active hosting.
- Does not only describe people; places can be hospitable too.
- Not a guarantee of luxury; it is about welcoming warmth.
- Can be used with people, hosts, towns, and nations.
Thinking Differences
In English, hospitable often emphasizes outward warmth and explicit hosting actions (greeting, offering, attending to guests). Other languages may encode hospitality as a broader cultural norm or as a stable trait of places, not only individuals. Learners might overgeneralize to only describe people, or miss when a place or country is described as hospitable.
Learning Tips
- Practice with a host or hotel scenario.
- Note collocations like hospitality and hospitably.
- Differentiate hospitable from friendly by focusing on active hosting.
- Learn to say 'hospitable to' followed by the recipient (to guests).
- Read about cultural hospitality in travel writing.
5-Step Learning Method - Learn English in English
Step 1: Meaning
What is the meaning of 'hospitable'?
A.Welcoming and friendly to guests
B.Unfriendly or cold
C.Rarely seen or encountered
D.Very complicated or complex
Step 2: Usage
Choose the correct usage of 'hospitable' in a sentence.
A.He found the villagers to be very hospitable.
B.The weather was hospitable for skiing.
C.She was hospitable about her birthday plans.
D.The textbook was hospitable to the students.
Step 3: Similar Words
Which word is most similar to 'hospitable'?
A.Unwelcoming
B.Friendly
C.Hostile
D.Cold
Step 4: Opposite Words
What is the opposite of 'hospitable'?
A.Unfriendly
B.Welcoming
C.Inviting
D.Generous
Step 5: Mastery
Can you think of a real-life context where someone might be hospitable?
A.At the family gathering, everyone felt welcomed and included.
B.The restaurant provided great service for its guests.
C.She bought a new dress for the party.
D.The meeting had a lot of attendees.
Related Listening
🌱 Lite (Beginner)
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