folksy
Americanadjective
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friendly or neighborly; sociable.
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very informal; familiar; unceremonious.
The politician affected a folksy style.
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belonging to the common people, especially in regard to a conscious use of mannerisms, speech patterns, attitudes, etc..
folksy humor.
adjective
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of or like ordinary people; sometimes used derogatorily to describe affected simplicity
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informal friendly; affable
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of or relating to folk art
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of folksy
Explanation
Something folksy is down-to-earth and comfortable. An airline pilot's folksy voice can be calming to nervous passengers. A folksy restaurant is a modest, familiar kind of place to eat, where the food is plain and you don't need a reservation. A roots or country music group might strive for a folksy look and sound, and a folksy letter has an informal style and colloquial, everyday language. The word folksy was born in the United States in the 1850s, from folk, or "common people."
Vocabulary lists containing folksy
Notes of a Native Son
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Time Bomb
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The Underground Railroad
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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.
In arguing his case for punitive damages, Kaley's attorney Mark Lanier - a folksy Texas litigator - had shown the jury a jar of M&Ms.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Interwoven between Muñoz’s warm, patient and interactive lessons are musical numbers that range from nursery range to rock to folksy with visuals that fluctuate between grounded and fantastical.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
His genial demeanour and penchant for folksy parables belie a past as a wily guerrilla fighter and ruthless political survivor.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
There’s a folksy, faux-naïveté to her art, as im “Revelation,” a striking vertical panel in which an ancestor of the artist hides a treasure, then comes to her in a dream to reveal its location.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Fred played the guitar for her, and sang, his voice husky, and told her how his dream was to be a lead singer in a folksy band.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
