Cosily

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that fosters a sense of warmth and security
2. Done in a way that creates a pleasant, secure atmosphere with physical or emotional warmth
3. Expressing or suggesting a soft, inviting, and protected environment conducive to relaxation

Etymology: "Cosily" is the adverb of "cosy," formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to that adjective. The adjective "cosy" is the more interesting part of the story: it comes from a Proto-Indo-European root for "to lean" and reached English through Proto-Germanic and Old English forms that carried the sense of a body-shaped or comfortable fit. Old English "-līċe," the ancestor of the "-ly" ending, was itself built on "-līc," meaning "having the form or appearance of," so the suffix originally signalled "in the manner of" something. The suffix therefore carries an old idea of resemblance: "cosily" is, at root, "in the manner of something snug." The adjective was a common formation in English, and "-ly" has been attaching to adjectives this way since Old English, which is why the adverb needed no special coinage.

Synonyms: comfortably, snugly, warmly, pleasantly, securely

Antonyms: uncomfortably, harshly, coldly, unpleasantly, insecurely