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Glite Dictionary
folksy

folksy

14 5.8
Being friendly and informal in a simple way like a village neighbor
  • adjective
  • /ˈfoʊk.si/
  • Informal
translation icon : cercano
  • Detroit's favorite columnist infused his smug, yet folksy wisdom with ignorance and dashes of old-school baseball rhetoric.
  • folksy charm
  • folksy style
  • folksy wisdom

OK, that's either a very unusual story or another one of Biden's folksy phrases.

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Examples

  • It's down home and folksy, but really hip and cutting edge at the same time.

    Blog text (27)

  • Abraham Lincoln, pairing Alfred Hayes's folksy lyrics with Robinson's incongruously modernist-sounding melody, traces Lincoln's life in six stanzas.

    Academic text (2011)

  • It's just my folksy way of setting people at their ease.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I must say, there is a... folksy populism to him.

    The Makeover (2013)

  • Of course Anglicans ought to know better: it's not in them to be folksy.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I didn't know how to take his sudden, folksy change.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • They're going to love him because he's folksy and was once a member of the NRA.

  • Hurston favored folksy humor instead of rage, patriotism instead of a ticket to France.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Like Disney's Crockett, Thompson evinces an engaging, folksy manner when he speaks.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The restaurant has a folksy atmosphere, with rustic decor and friendly staff.

Synonyms

unpretentious
vsfolksy
9 5.1

Simple and honest in style and not trying to impress people

is friendlier and more tied to country or ordinary manner
earthy
vsfolksy
7 4.1

Practical and friendly in a simple, natural way

is more informal and gentle friendly than rugged practicality
folky
vsfolksy
  • Informal
2 5.6

Friendly and informal in a simple, traditional way

is generally more about ordinary and country people's friendly informal manner
country-style
vsfolksy
1 3.0

Like things from the countryside in look, taste, or style

is focused specifically on manner and simple friendly tone rather than look
folkish
vsfolksy
7.1

Showing a simple, traditional style like village music or crafts

focuses more on simple friendly manner of ordinary country life
countryish
vsfolksy
  • Informal
7.3

Like the countryside or country music in style and feeling

is more about friendly informal manner linked to ordinary people
small-townish
vsfolksy
  • Informal
7.3

Feels friendly, quiet, and a little old-fashioned, as if people know each other

is more rustic and rural in tone rather than small community feel

Antonyms

formal
  • Formal
63 3.0

Using correct grammar without slang or contractions

stuffy
  • Informal
31 5.6

Something old-fashioned and too serious in a way that makes it boring

How Folksy

rustic
40 5.2
folksy
  • Informal
14 5.8
simple
∞ 1.0
informal
98 3.1

Surface Forms

folksy positive

Morphology

folksy = folks (transparent) = folks + y

The adjective is readily formed from 'folks' + '-y' meaning characteristic of ordinary people, so learners knowing 'folks' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Folksy comes from folk meaning 'people' and the ending -y meaning 'like'. So, something folksy is 'like ordinary people' and feels simple, friendly and informal.