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”

Example Sentences

The culprits were Gen-Zers fawning over how cute cozy Snoopy was, often on social media.

From Los Angeles Times

But it’s also a genre where most of what I had seen throughout my whole life, murder mysteries are period pieces set usually in a cozy little bubble of a little “Queensfordshire” place in England.

From Los Angeles Times

Next up, a pumpkin loaf that refuses to be merely seasonal wallpaper: layered with cold coffee, cardamom, candied citrus and dark chocolate, it’s a little bit bakery, a little bit cozy kitchen alchemy.

From Salon

And it’s been nearly a year since the blaze incinerated her family’s cozy little house on Edgar Street in Pacific Palisades.

From Los Angeles Times

The crisp next to the cozy, the bright next to the deep.

From Salon

Related Words

• comfortable
• comfy
• cushy
• intimate
• snug