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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Related Words
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
- homeliness noun
- overhomeliness noun
- overhomely adjective
- unhomeliness noun
- unhomely adjective
Etymology
Origin of homely
First recorded in 1300–50, homely is from the Middle English word homly. See home, -ly
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.
"Lincoln really was quite a small college, and maybe that's what he was looking for - something that is more homely and welcoming," Gauci suggests.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
He added: "The homely comfy environment like a chip shop that people are familiar with, and nostalgic old-school graphics really helps lean into an uncanny dreamlike feeling."
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
The firms today have innocuous, homely names such as Dave.com and Brigit; their websites are adorned with stock photos of young people and families evidently basking in the relief of a short-term financial crisis averted.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2024
Smith is miscast as Myrtle, for a start: Her onstage bearing exudes a homely approachability rather than high-strung poise or inscrutable aloofness.
From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2024
Not me—like Juanita I was big boned, darkly bronzed from being out in the sun every day, and homely as a gingersnap.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
