cozy

American  

[koh-zee] / ˈkoʊ zi /

Rarely cozie, or cosy

adjective

cozier, coziest

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.

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noun

plural

cozies

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)

cozied, cozying

1. to make more warm or comfortable (often followed byup ).

   New curtains would cozy the room up a bit.

verb phrase

1. cozy up (to)

   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 British  

/ ˈkəʊzɪ /

adjective

1. the usual US spelling of cosy

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Other Word Forms

• cozily
  adverb
• coziness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cozy

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

Explanation

The adjective cozy describes being comfortable and warm, like when you feel cozy curled up on the couch under a soft blanket, in front of a roaring fire. "Isn't this cozy?" If you hear these words, you might be in a friendly, casual place where everyone feels welcome. Or, perhaps you are in a small cabin that is warm and dry as they rain pours down outside. Or you have just stumbled upon the judge of a writing contest having dinner with one of the aspiring novelists — cozy can also mean "scheming." And as a noun? A cozy is a padded cloth used to keep a teapot warm.

Example Sentences

Cozy as many of her columns appeared to be, they inhabited the porous divide between personal and political.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Last November, the Newport Harbor Island Resort in Rhode Island debuted a seasonal suite in collaboration with the brand Cozy Earth, with all the bedding, robes and candles available for 20% off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

Cozy up in the kitchen with me and spoon just a bit of warm ditalini or oven-roasted gnocchi into your bowl.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025

Cozy homes and multimillion-dollar beach palaces that once hugged the coastline — all gone.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2025

He should have expected it; the kids had been talking about the Cozy Table’s famous pancakes since the start of school.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• comfortable
• comfy
• cushy
• intimate
• snug