cozy

or co·sy

[ koh-zee ]

adjective

, co·zi·er, co·zi·est.

1. comfortable and snug:

   We live in a cozy little house with a small garden in the back.

   Synonyms: sheltered, homey, comfy, snug

2. convenient or beneficial, usually as a result of dishonesty or connivance:

   A very cozy agreement between competing firms had kept the industry profitable for years.

3. suggesting opportunistic or conspiratorial intimacy:

   The exposé revealed a cozy relationship between lobbyists and some politicians.

4. discreetly reticent or noncommittal:

   The administrators are remaining cozy about which policy they plan to adopt.

5. relating to a genre of mystery stories with little suspense, explicit violence, or sexual content, often also having amateur sleuths and idyllic, intimate settings:

   I read lots of different books, but I like cozy mysteries best.

   Charming characters and just the right amount of danger make this cozy series a delight to read.

noun

, plural co·zies.

1. a padded covering for a teapot or coffeepot to retain the heat of the contents.
2. a mystery story with little suspense, explicit violence, or sexual content, often also having amateur sleuths and idyllic, intimate settings:

   I started out reading cozies and moved on to the hard-boiled detective novels.

verb (used with object)

, co·zied, co·zy·ing.

1. to make more warm or comfortable (often followed by up ):

   New curtains would cozy the room up a bit.

verb phrase

1. Informal.
   1. to move closer for comfort or affection:

      Come over to the fire and cozy up a bit.

   2. to try to become friendly or intimate in order to further one's own ends; attempt to ingratiate oneself:

      He's always cozying up to the boss.

cozy

/ ˈkəʊzɪ /

adjective

1. See cosy
   the usual US spelling of cosy

Derived Forms

• ˈcozily, adverb
• ˈcoziness, noun

Other Words From

• co·zi·ly adverb
• co·zi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cozy¹

First recorded in 1700–10; from Scots colsie, perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian koselig “cozy,” kose seg “to enjoy oneself”

Example Sentences

This four-inch topper blends temperature-neutral memory foam and cozy down alternative fiber to add a supportive veneer of luxury to your new firm mattress or worn old mattress.

From Popular-Science

We gathered some of the best sleep tools—from a super cozy eye mask to a soothing sound machine—that’ll wind you down at night and keep you well-rested.

From Popular-Science

A cozy, comfortable sock can go a long way when it comes to gift-giving.

From Popular-Science

Finding out exactly what happens when particles get even cozier is a major goal of high-energy physics.

From Quanta Magazine

It is Google, another American company, but one whose leaders are less cozy with Trump.

From Fortune

Sitting at a cozy café in the center of Tel Aviv, Kallai looks nothing like the feisty woman he plays on screen.

From The Daily Beast

It might have been used as confirmation that a unique and cozy “special relationship” between the two nations was unassailable.

From The Daily Beast

The study is a quiet and cozy room in a quiet and cozy house.

From The Daily Beast

How Bill Simmons and company have turned NFL indignation into a cozy little cottage industry.

From The Daily Beast

By demonstrating a willingness to criticize President Obama, often rebuking him for his cozy relationship with Wall Street.

From The Daily Beast

I took two rooms in the third story, small but very cozy, and with a lovely view of the hills.

From Project Gutenberg

For he himself was beginning to see what a cozy home the car really would make.

From Project Gutenberg

Every day in her cozy sitting-room Mrs. Worthington talked with her little girls, Bessie and Louise.

From Project Gutenberg

The white shades were down, the doors between the rooms closed, they were altogether cozy and comfortable.

From Project Gutenberg

The girl's earliest memories were of the cozy log-cabin upon the banks of the limpid, gurgling creek.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• comfortable
• comfy
• cushy
• intimate
• snug