amenable

When people say he/she is amenable,( in describing personality), what does it mean exactly?

, see here.

A few examples might help:

She didn't want to come to the airport but was amenable to coming to the train station which was nearer.

Are you amenable to my taking the children to the zoo this afternoon?
Yes but don't be very late getting back.

So an amenable person is someone who readily agrees to go along with what someone else proposes. Teafrog's suggestion accommodating puts it very well.

If someone said, "Bosun is amenable." I would think that bosun could be one of two ways:

1. A person who likes to cooperate and get along with everyone in a situation. Someone who has a very agreeable personality and an easy-going disposition. Someone who is very tolerant of others' opinions.

2. A very docile person who is so easy-going, he can be swayed by the will of others. Who is so undemanding, people take advantage of him. Someone who is gullible to the whims of other people.

I think there's a positive/negative side to this trait, and it's possible to have too much of one and not enough of the other.

AngelEyes