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down-home

American  
[doun-hohm] / ˈdaʊnˈhoʊm /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or exhibiting the simple, familiar, or folksy qualities associated with one's family or with rural areas, especially of the southern U.S..

    down-home cooking; down-home hospitality.
down-home British  

adjective

  1. slang of, relating to, or reminiscent of rural life, esp in the southern US; unsophisticated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of down-home

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

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.

It became an article of faith that unless a president was able to present himself as a down-home guy, he didn't have a chance.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

And while Walz’s down-home, aw-shucks demeanor has captivated America, it’s also a sharp reminder of how different his finances are from those of the average politician.

From Slate • Aug. 8, 2024

Coltrane begins his improvisation at 1:05 with some down-home riffing, so that when he then brings on some incredibly fast notes, it makes a tremendously effective contrast.

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2024

She's a down-home American hard at work for your vote.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2024

"Carl was a friendly, extremely popular, down-home sort of guy," Stoppel recalls.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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.