Jamal is reading a story. He reads the sentence and is not sure what cordial means. He thinks it might mean "fancy." Read the sentence and the dictionary entry. The first time Karen visited Serena's home, she was impressed by the cordial atmosphere. cordial 1. Adjective a. Friendly, welcoming b. Genuine, deeply felt 2. Noun a. Liquor with a sweet, strong taste b. Drink that invigorates the heart what does cordial mean?