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:
In one of the living spaces, an artistic arched window provides a picturesque view of the property’s gardens—serving almost as a natural art piece in the space, which also boasts a cozy fireplace.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
At the start of each week’s show, Byrd told viewers to cozy up with a loved one.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Mr. Mamdani and big labor appear to have a cozy relationship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Blue Shield, which has reported giving $100,000 to Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit, also has a cozy relationship with her husband.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
And the warm, cozy feeling disappeared real quick.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Horseradish is often at its best when it cozies up to cream, like in a traditional steak sauce, or when it mingles with tomatoes, as in a classic cocktail sauce.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2025
In my mind, the biggest problem with this isn’t necessarily that he cozies up to pseudoscience.
From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2025
It cozies up a space and provides cushioning for a tired cook’s feet.
From Washington Times ● May 9, 2023
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
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 Garrison, Adele
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
A large open-plan kitchen comes complete with a casual dining space, ideal for hosting large groups, while the sun-soaked living room boasts its own fireplace for cozier evenings during the winter months.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
What could be cozier than a flock of charismatic sheep hunting their shepherd’s killer?
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
The nearly 11,000-square-foot space includes five different studio areas that can accommodate a variety of setups, including cozier interview settings and vast recording spaces for big groups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2026
The fireplace didn’t work, but even the idea of it made the room cozier.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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
The coziest of cozy British mysteries, based on G.K.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
In this, our third pandemic year, the coziest, most unctuous dishes still reigned supreme.
From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2022
He made the hole in the bag still larger, crawled inside, and curled up in the coziest bed he had ever known.
From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary
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
One of the funnier phenomena online in recent weeks is how the Reddit forum for Joe Rogan fans has turned on the podcaster, mostly because they can't stand how he's cozied up to Musk.
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2025
“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
Bardem gets the most, and most extreme attitudes, to play, whether cozying up individually to the Bowdens, threatening a groupie, undergoing a religious conversion, acting normal or being weird.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Now some are finding there might be value in cozying up to ChatGPT itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
The couple first sparked romance rumors in July when they were seen cozying up in Spain together.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026
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.
