Good-natured means having a friendly, cheerful, and easygoing personality. Someone who is good-natured doesn't get upset easily, laughs at jokes (even when the joke's on them), and treats others with warmth and kindness.

You can see the difference between good-natured people and others in how they handle small annoyances. When a good-natured teacher's lesson gets interrupted by a fire drill, she smiles and makes a joke about it instead of getting frustrated. When a good-natured friend loses a game, he congratulates the winner without sulking or making excuses.

Good-natured doesn't mean weak or pushy-over. A good-natured person can still be competitive, have strong opinions, or stand up for themselves. What makes them good-natured is that they stay pleasant and fair-minded even in frustrating situations. They give others the benefit of the doubt and don't hold grudges.

The word often describes teasing or joking too. Good-natured teasing means playful joking between friends who genuinely like each other, not mean-spirited mockery. When siblings engage in good-natured competition, they're trying hard to win but staying friendly about it. Being good-natured makes someone pleasant to be around, whether you're winning or losing, having a good day or a tough one.