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homely

[ hohm-lee ]
/ ˈhoʊm li /
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See synonyms for: homely / homeliness on Thesaurus.com
adjective, home·li·er, home·li·est.
lacking in physical attractiveness; not beautiful; unattractive: a homely child.
not having elegance, refinement, or cultivation.
proper or suited to the home or to ordinary domestic life; plain; unpretentious: homely food.
commonly seen or known.
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Origin of homely

First recorded in 1300–50, homely is from the Middle English word homly.See home, -ly

synonym study for homely

1-3. 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 WORDS FROM homely

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH homely

1. homely , homey2. homely , homily

Words nearby homely

homelands movement, homeless, homelessness, homelike, home loan, homely, homemade, homemaker, homemaking, home mission, homeo-
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to homely

comfy, cozy, domestic, everyday, familiar, friendly, homelike, homespun, homey, informal, modest, natural, plain, simple, snug, unaffected, unassuming, unostentatious, unpretentious, welcoming

How to use homely in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for homely

homely
/ (ˈhəʊmlɪ) /
adjective -lier or -liest
characteristic of or suited to the ordinary home; unpretentious
(of a person)
  1. British warm and domesticated in manner or appearance
  2. mainly US and Canadian plain or ugly

Derived forms of homely

homeliness, noun
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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