homely

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   lacking in physical beauty or proportion

   a homely child

2. 2
   adj

   without artificial refinement or elegance

   plain homely furniture

3. 3
   adj

   plain and unpretentious

   homely truths

4. 4
   adj

   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.

5. 5
   adj

   Lacking in beauty or elegance, plain in appearance, physically unattractive.

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

6. 6
   adj

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

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

7. 7
   adj

   Conservative and family-oriented.

   I am seeking a beautiful homely girl for marriage.

8. 8
   adj

   Simple; plain; familiar; unelaborate; unadorned.

   a homely garment

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”).