home·ly (hōm′lē)
adj. home·li·er, home·li·est
1. Not attractive or good-looking: a homely child.
2. Lacking elegance or refinement: homely furniture.
3. Of a simple or unpretentious nature; plain: homely truths.
4. Characteristic of the home or of home life: homely skills.
home′li·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.




homely (ˈhəʊmlɪ)
adj, -lier or -liest
1. characteristic of or suited to the ordinary home; unpretentious
2. (of a person)
a. Brit warm and domesticated in manner or appearance
b. US and Canadian plain or ugly
ˈhomeliness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003



home•ly (ˈhoʊm li)

adj. -li•er, -li•est.
1. lacking in physical attractiveness; plain.
2. simple; unpretentious: homely food.
3. commonly seen or known; familiar.
[1300–50; Middle English homly]
home′li•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.