cosy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Informal, conversational; also appears in descriptive writing (e.g., travel, lifestyle).
Quick answer
What does “cosy” mean?
Giving a feeling of comfortable warmth, ease, and contentment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Giving a feeling of comfortable warmth, ease, and contentment.
Suggests an atmosphere, situation, or arrangement that is safe, intimate, snug, and pleasantly secluded or private; can imply excessive informality or secrecy in certain contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'cosy' is standard British spelling; 'cozy' is standard American spelling. The word is used more frequently in British English.
Connotations
In British English, strongly associated with domestic comfort (tea, fireplaces, blankets). In American English, also common but can extend more readily to commercial marketing (cozy café, cozy mystery genre).
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English; common in both but a more quintessentially 'British' concept.
Grammar
How to Use “cosy” in a Sentence
It is cosy in/at [PLACE][PLACE] feels/looks cosyto cosy up to [PERSON]a cosy [NOUN] (e.g., a cosy cottage)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cosy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They cosied up by the fire with a book.
- The cat cosied into the blankets.
- He's always trying to cosy up to the boss.
American English
- They cozied up by the fireplace with a book.
- The dog cozied into its bed.
- She cozied up to the influential senator.
adverb
British English
- They sat cosily together on the sofa.
- The couple chatted cosily by the hearth.
American English
- They sat cozily together on the couch.
- The family was nestled cozily in the cabin.
adjective
British English
- It's a cosy pub with low ceilings.
- We had a cosy evening at home.
- She wore a cosy wool jumper.
American English
- It's a cozy café with soft lighting.
- We had a cozy night in watching movies.
- He put on a cozy flannel shirt.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except negatively: 'a cosy relationship with a regulator' (implying lack of proper distance).
Academic
Rare in formal texts; may appear in social sciences to describe informal, closed networks.
Everyday
Very common for describing homes, rooms, weather, gatherings, clothing.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cosy”
- Using it to describe large, grand spaces (e.g., 'a cosy palace' is oxymoronic). Confusing with 'comfy' (which is more about physical comfort than atmosphere).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily positive, describing pleasant comfort. However, in phrases like 'a cosy relationship' (especially in politics/business), it can imply overly close and potentially improper collusion.
'Comfortable' is broader and more physical (a comfortable chair). 'Cosy' specifically evokes a feeling of warm, snug, intimate, and often small-scale comfort, more about atmosphere than physical design.
Not directly. You wouldn't say 'a cosy person'. It describes places, atmospheres, situations, or arrangements. You can say a person 'looks cosy' (e.g., wrapped in a blanket) or use the verb phrase 'cosy up to someone'.
Most commonly in the phrasal verb 'cosy up to someone' meaning to behave in a friendly way towards someone, often to gain an advantage. Also used literally: 'The cat cosied into the cushion'.
Giving a feeling of comfortable warmth, ease, and contentment.
Cosy is usually informal, conversational; also appears in descriptive writing (e.g., travel, lifestyle). in register.
Cosy: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkəʊzi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkoʊzi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cosy up to someone (ingratiate oneself)”
- “a cosy little arrangement (often implying questionable secrecy)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a COSY COUCH SO YOU sink into warmth and comfort.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMFORT IS WARMTH / INTIMACY IS PHYSICAL CLOSENESS / SAFETY IS ENCLOSURE
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following situations BEST illustrates the meaning of 'cosy' (positive sense)?