homey
1 Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Usage
What does homey mean? Homey is used to describe a place as cozy, comfortable, and inviting. It’s often used to describe a home that feels this way. You might discuss ways of making your place (or a particular room in it) more homey, typically by decorating it in a way that makes it cozier or more comfortable. Homey can also be used to describe a place that’s not a home but that’s comfortable and inviting like your own home, such as a hotel room, cozy restaurant, or nicely decorated office. Example: The new fireplace makes the living room feel so homey. Unrelatedly, homey is an alternative spelling of the noun homie, which is a slang term for a close friend. It can be used to refer to a friend, as in This is my homey Russel, or as a term of address for one, as in Hey, homey!Example: I’m having a night out with just me and my homeys.
Synonym Usage
See homely.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of homey1
First recorded in 1850–55; home + -y 1
Origin of homey2
First recorded in 1990–95
Vocabulary lists containing homey
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.
Repeat visitors like Sonny Baker, 53, of Boston, praised Horning for keeping the resort homey and the crowds a fraction of those elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
"Calgary, where I'm from, feels a little less like homey than LA," McRae said.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Inside the homey dining room and open kitchen, Cho blends the South Korean flavors of his birthplace with the European techniques he mastered as a chef in New York City.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
The homey feeling they shared was supported by a band that has the stylistic grace of a well-honed orchestra.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
The office sat in the front corner of the building, with sun-flooded windows and mismatched furniture that made it more homey than institutional.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
