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⇱ homely - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

homely

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈhəʊmli/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈhoʊmli/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(hōm′lē)

Inflections of 'homely' (adj):
homelier
adj comparative
homeliest
adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
home•ly /ˈhoʊmli/USA pronunciation   adj., -li•er, -li•est. 
  1. unattractive;
    plain:a homely but lovable puppy.
  2. simple;
    unpretentious:homely food.
home•li•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
home•ly  (hōm′lē),USA pronunciation adj., -li•er, -li•est. 
  1. lacking in physical attractiveness;
    not beautiful;
    unattractive:a homely child.
  2. not having elegance, refinement, or cultivation.
  3. proper or suited to the home or to ordinary domestic life;
    plain;
    unpretentious:homely food.
  4. commonly seen or known.
  • Middle English homly. See home, -ly 1300–50
home′li•ness, n. 
    1. 2. 3. 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.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
homely /ˈhəʊmlɪ/ adj ( -lier, -liest)
  1. characteristic of or suited to the ordinary home; unpretentious
  2. (of a person)
    • Brit warm and domesticated in manner or appearance
    • chiefly US Canadian plain or ugly
ˈhomeliness n
'homely' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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