homey
homey — adjective
- homeypositive
- homeyercomparative
- homeyestsuperlative
1. feeling warm, simple, and welcoming in a way that reminds you of being at home r
feeling warm, simple, and welcoming in a way that reminds you of being at home rather than in a formal or fancy place.
Yael's small cafe felt homey, with old wooden tables and the smell of fresh bread.
predicative: place + feels/felt homey
The guesthouse in the mountains had a homey kitchen where guests cooked breakfast together.
attributive: homey + noun (kitchen, room, atmosphere)
Christopher chose the diner because it looked more homey than the chain restaurant next door.
Elena added a soft rug and family photos to make her new apartment feel homey.
The bed and breakfast had a homey charm that the big hotels in town could not match.
- cozy
focuses on warmth and small, snug spaces; less about a home-like feel specifically
- welcoming
neutral register; emphasises that visitors feel invited rather than the home-like style itself
- homely
British equivalent for this meaning; in American English 'homely' instead means plain-looking, so the two can confuse readers
- impersonal
lacks the warm, lived-in feel of a home
- sterile
stronger; suggests cold and clinical, like a hospital or empty office
用法筆記
Mainly American; British speakers usually write 'homely' for this meaning, though in British English 'homely' often means plain-looking instead. Frequently used in travel, real-estate, and food writing to describe small, personal places.
常見錯誤
homey — noun
- homeysingular
- homeysplural
1. a slang word for a close friend, especially one who grew up in the same town or
a slang word for a close friend, especially one who grew up in the same town or neighbourhood as you, used most often by young people in casual speech.
Yasmin called her old school friend her homey from way back in middle school.
common phrasing: my homey from + place/time
Lien grabbed pizza on Friday night with three of her homeys from the block.
plural: homeys (sometimes spelled 'homies')
Asher waved at a homey across the street and stopped to chat for a minute.
The rapper thanked his homeys from the old neighbourhood during his award speech.
- stranger
someone you do not know at all, the opposite of a close local friend
用法筆記
Mostly heard in American hip-hop and youth speech; in formal writing or older audiences, use 'close friend' or 'old friend' instead. The plural is usually spelled 'homeys' or 'homies'; both are accepted, with 'homies' more common in song lyrics.