homely

home·ly | \ ˈhōm-lē

homelier; homeliest

Definition of homely

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

3a : 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

Other Words from homely Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about homely

Keep scrolling for more

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 Rotten row, Hog lane, Crabtree street, Peacock street, Shoe lane, and others equally as absurd, which had their origin in this way, and which generally retain their homely names even though their neighborhoods become aristocratic. — New York Times, "‘The Address Book,’ by Deirdre Mask: An Excerpt," 14 Apr. 2020 This would-be foe of COVID-19 is as big and homely as a semi-trailer. — Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan soldiers set to use giant oven in the war on COVID-19," 13 Apr. 2020 Peeling them was a struggle, and they were left looking pockmarked and homely. — Washington Post, "Yes, there is an art to the perfectly peeled egg," 23 Sep. 2019 Some of the most arresting passages are about the warmth of family life: homely activities like pickling cabbages together or cooking dumplings. — Diana Preston, Washington Post, "An elite Chinese family, ensnared in the Cultural Revolution," 6 Mar. 2020 Sartore treats all creatures—great and small, handsome and homely—with reverence. — Elizabeth Kolbert, National Geographic, "What we lose when animals go extinct," 25 Sep. 2019 An Uber dropped me off in front of a homely apartment complex in the southeast part of the city. — Brian Merchant, Harper's magazine, "Click Here to Kill," 31 Dec. 2019 Drawn in by his star power, many women flocked toward the homely and married slugger. — Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, "When the Yankees Got the Larger-Than-Life Babe Ruth," 24 Dec. 2019 The arrival of homely Hobbit Gin, or the self-refrigerating White Witch Gin, distilled in Narnia, cannot be far behind. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "The Intoxicating History of Gin," 2 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'homely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.