cozy
Americanadjective
-
cozier,
comparative
-
coziest
superlative
-
comfortable and snug.
We live in a cozy little house with a small garden in the back.
-
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.
-
suggesting opportunistic or conspiratorial intimacy.
The exposé revealed a cozy relationship between lobbyists and some politicians.
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discreetly reticent or noncommittal.
The administrators are remaining cozy about which policy they plan to adopt.
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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
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cozies
plural
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a padded covering for a teapot or coffeepot to retain the heat of the contents.
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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)
verb phrase
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cozy
The Circuit
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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Words to Describe Homes
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
People think of these mysteries as very cozy at times and a bit safe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The living area comes with a cozy fireplace and an expansive view of the backyard, which features a resort-style pool.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Add these 13 to your watchlist for when temperatures drop and you want to get cozy on the couch under a blanket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
It’s quite scenic and peaceful-looking in cozy Hope, as cinematographer Hong Kyung-po casually depicts from the opening frames.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
These are the delicate, airy ones that dance lightly and tickle my insides, making me feel warm and cozy.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
It cozies up a space and provides cushioning for a tired cook’s feet.
From Washington Times ● May 9, 2023
When Di cozies up to a smitten boy, Diem’s camera watches them walk away.
From New York Times ● Dec. 15, 2022
After a stream of singles ping-ponging between laid-back R&B and frenetic Bay Area-informed raps, the singer/rapper cozies up to her sultry R&B side on this year’s “On One” EP.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2021
Even CBS cozies up to this socioeconomic hot-button in the friendliest way possible by way of “The Neighborhood,” which was recently renewed for a second season.
From Salon ● May 23, 2019
It's very English, with the tea cozies and all that sort of frills, and some of their luncheon dishes are delicious.
From Revelations of a Wife The Story of a Honeymoon by Adele Garrison
If OpenAI gets cozier with the government, Altman will likely have significant influence over AI regulations, said PitchBook analyst Harrison Rolfes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
For cozier evenings, there is a separate family room, complete with its own fireplace, enormous windows, and the same exposed beams that run through the main living area.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
What could be cozier than a flock of charismatic sheep hunting their shepherd’s killer?
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
For a cozier option, head to Stargazy, a pie shop that has quietly become a hub for soccer-crazed Brits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
The fireplace didn’t work, but even the idea of it made the room cozier.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Divine understanding is one of the coziest concepts around, after all.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
This roasting kit helps revive one of wintertime’s coziest pleasures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
So, grab your caldron of hot cocoa, light those pumpkin-scented candles you claim you hate but secretly love, and learn how to make your home the coziest haunt on the block.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
If that doesn’t sound like the coziest of holiday reunions, Mungiu is just getting warmed up, or rather cooled down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
The warmest and coziest of them were the Bears from California.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
The rear cabin matches the front in molded-leather magnificence, with two deep-seated, high-bolstered rear chairs cozied up between the wheel wells, sharing an armrest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
We listened in rapt, reverential awe, cozied by Vienna’s velvet strings, velvet winds and velvet brass woven together in a perfect tapestry of lush sonic textures and instrumental colors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2024
“McKinsey now has offices all over the world, and from them they’ve cozied up to some truly terrible clients,” Oliver said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
But then, in the 1980s, a bunch of Soviets showed up out of nowhere and cozied up to him.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2023
Shortly after sunrise we come down the steep road into Livingstonville, a small town of no more than forty houses and stores cozied at the confluence of the Cats- kill and Lake creeks.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
His FDA is promoting testosterone therapy for men while cozying up to men’s health influencers such as Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
In the meantime, YouTube campaigned to “normalize” itself in classrooms in part by cozying up to Parent Teacher Associations, school districts alleged in a lawsuit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
The couple first sparked romance rumors in July when they were seen cozying up in Spain together.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026
More importantly, he wanted to be seen cozying up to the mayor-elect.
From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2025
I didn't see the first shot, 'cause we were cozying up on the stoop there like normal, but I saw the second one.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
