homely

adjective

home·​ly ˈhōm-lē 

homelier; homeliest

1

: suggestive or characteristic of a place of residence or home

2

: being something familiar with which a person is comfortable and at ease : comfortable and familiar like home

satisfy themselves with houses, furniture, books and clothes that were worn and homely and friendly to the touch

—Brendan Gill

3

a

: free from affectation : unaffectedly natural : simple

plain, homely prose

b

: not elaborate or complex

homely virtues

4

: plain or unattractive in appearance

a homely face

he's a bit homely

homeliness noun

Synonyms

• grotesque
• hideous
• ill-favored
• monstrous
• ugly
• unappealing
• unattractive
• unbeautiful
• uncomely
• unhandsome
• unlovely
• unpleasing
• unpretty
• unsightly
• vile

Examples of homely in a Sentence

She has a homely face.

He's a bit homely but nice.

the homely appeal of farm life

Recent Examples on the Web

Over-collars with homely top-stitching details look like something out of The Scarlet Letter. —Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024

The colour palette of petrol-blue, canary yellow and bright orange adds to this homely vibe and feels at once interesting and welcoming. —Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

Overlapping, roasted slices of lemon can camouflage a homely turkey. —Bonnie S. Benwick, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024

In the English basement, Bergman and Pond turned a homely kitchen into one that would suit two chefs. —Curbed, 17 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English homly, homely "belonging to a household, used at home, close, intimate, meek, tame, common, unattractive," from hom home entry 1 + -ly -ly entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

homely

adjective

home·​ly ˈhōm-lē 

homelier; homeliest

1

: characteristic of home life

homely meals

2

: not pretty or handsome

a homely person

homeliness noun