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View synonyms for homebody

homebody

[ hohm-bod-ee ]

noun

, plural home·bod·ies.
  1. a person who prefers pleasures and activities that center around the home; stay-at-home.


homebody

/ ˈhəʊmˌbɒdɪ /

noun

  1. a person whose life and interests are centred on the home
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of homebody1

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; home + body
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Example Sentences

The homebody narrator’s limited routine might feel familiar to many readers after a year of the coronavirus pandemic.

An air fryer may do wonders for a homebody in the kitchen, but it won’t be all that beneficial to someone who spends a lot of time traveling by train, plane, and automobile, living out of suitcases, and sleeping in strange beds.

When she had a makeover in August 2009, those who fell in love with the homely homebody almost had a collective breakdown.

Despite his phenomenal singing voice and boyish good looks, Allen is a well-adjusted homebody, who is married and sweet-tempered.

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Related Words

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More About Homebody

What is a homebody?

A homebody is a person who enjoys being at home and doing activities that center around the home.

If your ideal day includes staying home and working on home improvement projects, indulging in hobbies, or reading and playing video games, you might call yourself a homebody. While homebodies go out with friends and travel, their preference is staying at home, often alone or with close family. That preference is important.

Sometimes homebody is applied to people with a mental illness, like agoraphobia, or a physical disability that keeps them at home, but that would be inaccurate. A homebody prefers to stay at home. If a disability keeps someone at home most of the time when they’d rather be traveling the world, for example, they are not a homebody. Equally, if someone is always away from home because they have to be but they want to be home, they still might call themselves a homebody.

Example: Marvin was a real homebody, preferring to spend his days cooking in his kitchen for his family and friends.

Where does homebody come from?

The first records of the term homebody come from around the 1810s. It is an Americanism that combines the terms home and body.

While a homebody likely sees themselves in a positive light because being a homebody makes them happy, not all people and cultures value homebodies equally. Whether homebodies are valued depends on a person’s or culture’s values.

For example, a culture that values growing and cooking your own food, making your own clothes, and similar activities would see being a homebody as a positive because people would be home doing these things. A culture that strongly emphasizes working outside of the home, attending a lot of social events, and traveling extensively might see being a homebody negatively.

When we can better understand how individuals can have different skills and different needs, we can better accept the differences between us, whether that’s preferring to be at home or out and about.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to homebody?

  • homebodies (plural)

What are some words that share a root or word element with homebody

What are some words that often get used in discussing homebody?

How is homebody used in real life?

Homebody is commonly used in casual conversation to describe someone who prefers staying home.

 

Try using homebody!

True or False?

A homebody is someone who prefers to travel a lot.

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