Homely — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈhōm-lē/ home·ly

Meaning & Definition of Homely

Homely (adjective)

  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
  3. free from affectation, unaffectedly natural, simple

Homely (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. unpleasant to look at

    "along with thousands of other people, we entered our beloved pooch in a contest to find the homeliest dog in the country"

    similar: grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ugly, unappealing, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, unhandsome, unlovely, unpleasing, unpretty, unsightly, vile
    related: abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, gross, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, sickening, frumpish, frumpy, plain, unaesthetic, unbecoming, unshapely
    opposite: aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny (chiefly British), comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, lovely, pretty, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored
    near: shapely, imposing, impressive, prepossessing

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Homely

The most common words with a similar meaning to Homely:

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

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Homely

Words with the opposite meaning of Homely:

aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny, comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, lovely, pretty, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored

Related Words for Homely

abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, gross, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, sickening, frumpish, frumpy, plain, unaesthetic, unbecoming, unshapely

Near Antonyms of Homely

shapely, imposing, impressive, prepossessing

Word Forms of Homely

Inflections: homelier, homeliest

Derived words: homeliness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Homely

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

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Homely

What does "Homely" mean?

"Homely" means suggestive or characteristic of a place of residence or home. As an adjective, it is defined as: suggestive or characteristic of a place of residence or home.

What is another word for "Homely"?

Other words for "Homely" include grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ugly, unappealing, unattractive and unbeautiful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Homely" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Homely"?

There are 40 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Homely". Common alternatives include grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, monstrous, ugly, unappealing, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely and unhandsome.

What is the opposite of "Homely"?

Antonyms of "Homely" include aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny, comely, cute and drop-dead. Near antonyms include shapely, imposing, impressive and prepossessing.

How do you use "Homely" in a sentence?

Examples of "Homely" in a sentence: "along with thousands of other people, we entered our beloved pooch in a contest to find the homeliest dog in the country".

Is "Homely" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Homely" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Homely"?

"Homely" is pronounced /ˈhōm-lē/ and divided into syllables as home·ly.

What is the origin of the word "Homely"?

"Homely" comes from Middle English homly, homely "belonging to a household, used at home, close, intimate, meek, tame, common, unattractive," from hom home:1 + -ly -ly:1. First known use: 14th century.