Definition of "homely" []

• Not attractive or good-looking: a homely child. (adjective)
• Lacking elegance or refinement: homely furniture. (adjective)
• Of a simple or unpretentious nature; plain: homely truths. (adjective)
• Characteristic of the home or of home life: homely skills. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Buncombe was delighted to encounter a sea-faring friend, and insisted on taking George Jernam down to River View Cottage to eat what he called a homely bit of dinner."
• "In the book, Winifred is plain -- homely, even -- but bright, talented, hard-working, and explicitly a very nice girl."
• "Yet despite the fact that he was often referred to as homely or even ugly, Maureen was struck by how absolutely beautiful he was."