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Homely

//ˈhoʊmli// adj

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Characteristic of, belonging to, or befitting a home; domestic, cosy.

    "An interesting illustration of this is the way in which the English flower names which were in use till very recently are being ousted by Greek ones, snapdragon becoming antirrhinum, forget-me-not becoming myosotis, etc. It is hard to see any practical reason for this change of fashion: it is probably due to an instinctive turning-away from the more homely word and a vague feeling that the Greek word is scientific."

  2. 2
    Lacking in beauty or elegance, plain in appearance, physically unattractive. Canada, US

    "There is none so homely but loves a looking-glass."

  3. 3
    On intimate or friendly terms with (someone); familiar; at home (with a person); intimate. UK, dialectal

    "With all these men I was right homely, and communed with them long and oft."

  4. 4
    Domestic; tame. UK, dialectal
  5. 5
    Personal; private. UK, dialectal
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Friendly; kind; gracious; cordial. UK, dialectal
  2. 7
    Conservative and family-oriented. India

    "I am seeking a beautiful homely girl for marriage."

  3. 8
    Simple; plain; familiar; unelaborate; unadorned.

    "a homely garment"

Adjective
  1. 1
    lacking in physical beauty or proportion wordnet
  2. 2
    having a feeling of home; cozy and comfortable wordnet
  3. 3
    without artificial refinement or elegance wordnet
  4. 4
    plain and unpretentious wordnet

Etymology

From Middle English homly, hoomly, hamely (“domestic, familiar, plain, unattractive”), from Old English *hāmlīċ (“of the home, domestic”), from Proto-West Germanic *haimalīk (“of or characteristic of home”), equivalent to home + -ly. Cognate with Scots hamely (“familiar, personal, private”), West Frisian heimelik, Dutch heimelijk (“secret, secretive, clandestine”), German heimlich (“secret, secretive, clandestine, undercover”), Danish hemmelig (“secret”), Swedish hemlig (“secret, concealed, privy, covert”), Faroese heimligur (“homelike, homey”), Icelandic heimlegur (“homely; worldly”).

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