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

• ugly
• unpleasing
• hideous
• grotesque
• unattractive

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

With pale, irregular surfaces dotted with black bits of char, the homely slabs aren’t much to look at, but the first bite packs a big smoky punch that only grows with each subsequent chew. —Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025

Conjure the homely, heart-warming elements of the season and take inspiration from nature with Taupe 03 Soho Roc House by Lick. —Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2025

The Athletic’s score: 161 Auckland City’s homely Kiwitea Street stadium (Phil Walter/Getty Images) 31. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 11 June 2025

Whether that is fair or not, the move was certainly a long way from the early-career Meghan who raged against the homely image of women in the kitchen of the Ivory Clear commercial. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025

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