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.
-
discreetly reticent or noncommittal.
The administrators are remaining cozy about which policy they plan to adopt.
-
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
-
cozies
plural
-
a padded covering for a teapot or coffeepot to retain the heat of the contents.
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words to Describe Homes
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But spend enough time online and you’ll realize that the facade of cozy nights in and days quietly posing for photos lit by never-ceasing natural light is just that.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
Adding to the home’s cozy appeal are six fireplaces, which are spread throughout spaces including the living room, family room, primary bedroom, and basement.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 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
Aesthetic this, aesthetic that and plenty of SEO-ready lists of cozy fall movies.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Although it was not as big as their parents’ library, it was as cozy, and the Baudelaire children were thrilled.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
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
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
Endeavoring to access Langley’s notebooks, she cozies up to his niece, a down-at-the-heels dealer in antiquarian books who isn’t above employing a little Lee Israel-style hocus-pocus to produce fake inventory for a credulous clientele.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 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
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
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
Each week the autumn grew colder and wetter, and the inn, although dirty and drafty, was much cozier than any barn or dung heap to be found outside, so she remained, empty of heart.
From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman
This roasting kit helps revive one of wintertime’s coziest pleasures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Known for their playful take on ceramics through the use of animations, Shohei Fujita and Chisato Yamano lend their ultra-cute designs of playful racoons, penguins and bears to the coziest winter wear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
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
“This must be the coziest restaurant in the world,” said my daughter, a connoisseur of these things.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 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
Recently, 50 Cent has cozied up to Republican politicians.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 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
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
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
Meyer celebrated that occasion on Instagram with a carousel of photos showing Stewart cozying up with a furry white cat and working behind the scenes on recent projects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2025
I had hoped cozying up to Ben would give me some indication as to whether Evan had any interest in me, but Ben wasn't exactly the most verbal of boys.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
