homely
Americanadjective
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lacking in physical attractiveness; not beautiful; unattractive.
a homely child.
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not having elegance, refinement, or cultivation.
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proper or suited to the home or to ordinary domestic life; plain; unpretentious.
homely food.
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commonly seen or known.
adjective
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characteristic of or suited to the ordinary home; unpretentious
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warm and domesticated in manner or appearance
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plain or ugly
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Synonym Usage
Simple, homely ( homey ), homelike, plain imply absence of adornment or embellishment. Something that is simple is not elaborate or complex: a simple kind of dress. In the United States, homely usually suggests absence of natural beauty: an unattractive person almost homely enough to be called ugly. In England, the word suggests a wholesome simplicity without artificial refinement or elegance; since it characterizes that which is comfortable and attractive, it is equivalent to homey : a homely cottage. Homelike also emphasizes comfort and attractiveness, but it conveys less strongly than does homey a sense of intimate security: a homelike interior, arrangement, atmosphere. Something that is plain has little or no adornment: expensive but plain clothing.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of homely
First recorded in 1300–50, homely is from the Middle English word homly. See home, -ly
Explanation
Homely describes someone who's plain or unattractive, like your homely Aunt Agnes or her squish-faced bulldog. The adjective homely is a slightly more gentle word than ugly, with a meaning closer to "plain" than "hideous." It's almost always used to describe a less-than-attractive person, and occasionally an animal. If you were British, you'd use homely to mean "cozy and homelike," but in the United States you'd say "homey." Be careful not to confuse homey with homely, or you could accidentally hurt someone's feelings.
Vocabulary lists containing homely
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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One Crazy Summer
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Lyddie
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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.
See Examples For:
Jenny Nimmo, the head of inclusion at East Midlands Academy Trust, which runs Prince William Academy, says the unit will have more "homely" classrooms and on-site mental health provision.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2025
But now they've replaced the windows and the ceiling and Yasir - a trained carpenter - has made their flat homely again.
From BBC ● May 15, 2025
Volkswagen was perhaps Sirowitz’s most important account, and the homely Beetle, nicknamed the “Bug,” was his and copywriter Robert Levenson’s automotive muse.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
“This genre is a very interesting merge of something that is extremely homely, extremely intimate and private. Then one thinks, how do you take that onstage?”
From New York Times ● Feb. 10, 2024
Charles pointed to an especially homely colt and asked his wife what she thought of him.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
A number of the homelier mom-and-pop stores on the surrounding blocks had also been squeezed out.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 8, 2019
But when "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" arrived, it was the homelier sitcoms that held sway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2014
His campaign is seemingly mounting a belated bid to cultivate a homelier image.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 1, 2014
“Bad Romance” stands on the shoulders of these other, identically dressed, homelier singles, the star cheerleader, No. 1.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2014
Noise from outside the house was excluded completely, and even homelier indoor sounds were muffled, and sometimes even eliminated somehow.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Indeed, as the play begins, Peg Smith, whose name alone lets you know she’s plain and real, stands cracking eggs at her kitchen island to make the homeliest food ever devised: zucchini bread.
From New York Times ● Sep. 17, 2023
The homeliest dish on the menu — sepia-toned braised chicken — is among the best in part because of the swell of cream, morel mushrooms and vin jaune enveloping the tender chicken.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2023
Perhaps the homeliest, certainly the longest and toughest of Open venues, Carnoustie is a no-holds-barred layout intended to test the best.
From Golf Digest ● Jan. 11, 2018
Whittier remains a minor writer, but his homeliest and most original work helped bring about the long-lived triumph of American vernacular verse.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 11, 2012
Even my mother said Howard was the homeliest baby she’d ever laid eyes on, but she did say that he would probably be just fine once he grew some hair.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
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.
