Meaning & use
cozy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Warm, snug and comfortable, especially of a small place or setting.
Grammar: Works before or after a noun: a cozy room; the room is cozy. British spelling is cosy.
Patterns
- cozy up in something
We spent the afternoon in a cozy cabin by the lake.
She wrapped herself in a cozy blanket.
The cafe felt warm and cozy on a rainy day.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Friendly and relaxed, sometimes too close in a way that seems unfair.
Grammar: Often disapproving when about deals or relationships: a cozy arrangement.
Patterns
- a cozy relationship with someone
Critics objected to the cozy deal between the mayor and the builder.
Their cozy chat ended when the boss came in.
The cozy link between the two firms raised suspicions.
nouncountable
A padded cover that keeps a teapot or other item warm.
Grammar: Often 'tea cozy'.
Patterns
- a tea cozy
She knitted a tea cozy for her grandmother.
The cozy kept the pot hot for an hour.
He slipped a cozy over the pot.
Word forms
| comparative | cozier |
|---|---|
| superlative | coziest |
| plural | cozies |
Common combinations
- cozy up to
- Politicians cozy up to wealthy donors.
- cozy corner
- There is a cozy corner for reading.
- warm and cozy
- The cottage was warm and cozy.
- cozy atmosphere
- The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere.
- cozy mystery
- She reads a cozy mystery every weekend.
Synonyms and how they differ
- snug
- Snug stresses being tightly and comfortably enclosed, often in a small space.
- comfortable
- Comfortable is general and lacks the warm, intimate feel that cozy has.
- homey
- Homey suggests the plain, welcoming feel of a home rather than warmth alone.
- intimate
- Intimate suggests closeness between people, and can be too serious for a room.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: cozy or cosy?
cozy vs cosy
Cosy is the British spelling, and the meaning is the same.
Practice
Which phrase shows 'cozy' used with a disapproving meaning?
Choose one answer.
A cozy deal suggests an unfairly close arrangement; the other options are simple comfort.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cozy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.