home away from home

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   A place where you feel as comfortable, relaxed and welcome as you do in your own house.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase, often after be or become: the cafe is my home away from home.

   Patterns

   • be a home away from home
   • become a home away from home for someone

   After three summers at the lake cabin, it felt like a home away from home.

   The little bookshop is a home away from home for many students.

   Her aunt's kitchen was always a home away from home for the whole street.

2. 2phraseidiomhumorous

   A place where someone spends so much time, such as a workplace or a gym, that it begins to feel like a second home.

   Grammar: Often has a slightly humorous tone when talking about work or school.

   Patterns

   • treat somewhere as a home away from home

   With the long hours he works, the office has become his home away from home.

   For the swim team, the pool is a home away from home.

   The hospital became a home away from home during her mother's treatment.

Common combinations

a real home away from home

The guesthouse was a real home away from home.

become a home away from home

The library has become a home away from home for me.

feel like a home away from home

The hostel felt like a home away from home after a week.

offer a home away from home

The hotel offers a home away from home for business travelers.

a home away from home for

The club is a home away from home for new immigrants.

Synonyms and how they differ

second home

Second home can mean a real extra property you own, whereas home away from home is figurative and about feeling comfortable.

haven

Haven stresses safety and shelter, while home away from home stresses comfort and familiarity.

home from home

Home from home is the British variant with the same meaning but sounds a little more traditional.

retreat

A retreat suggests a quiet place to escape to, while home away from home suggests daily comfort.

Opposites

Word family

home noun

the place where you live

homey adjective

comfortable and cozy like a home

homely adjective

in British English, simple and comfortable

homesick adjective

sad because you are away from home

Commonly confused: home away from home or home from home?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “home away from home”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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