cozy bolthole

7.0

A small comfortable place, often private or hidden, where you go to relax and feel safe

noun
/ˈkoʊzi ˈboʊlˌhoʊl/

: refugio acogedor

After a long week at work, she escapes to her cozy bolthole by the lake.

Examples

They decorated their cozy bolthole with warm lights and soft blankets for winter.
The author wrote his entire novel in a cozy bolthole nestled in the forest.
I found a cozy bolthole in the mountains.
This little cafe is my favorite cozy bolthole.
After a long week at work, she escapes to her cozy bolthole by the lake.
They decorated their cozy bolthole with warm lights and soft blankets for winter.
The author wrote his entire novel in a cozy bolthole nestled in the forest.

Synonyms

nest

vscozy bolthole

75 2.5

A small quiet place where someone can rest alone

is a more secure hidden refuge rather than just a quiet shelter

nook

vscozy bolthole

40 3.0

A small sheltered corner where you can sit or read

is larger and more secure, meant for resting and privacy

hidey-hole

vscozy bolthole

Informal

3 7.5

A small secret place to keep things safe or be alone

is more focused on comfort and relaxation not only secrecy

mousehole

vscozy bolthole

1 7.0

A small narrow space where a person can hide

is cozier and more secure, suited for comfortable retreat

bolthole

vscozy bolthole

1 8.3

A private place to go to relax or hide from others

is more about comfort and relaxation as well as safety

snuggery

vscozy bolthole

1 9.9

A small comfortable room for relaxing in private

is a hidden secure retreat focused on safety as well as comfort

Antonyms

exposed

182 3.4

Not protected from danger or bad weather

unsafe

100 1.1

Likely to cause harm to people or damage to things

How Cozy

cozy bolthole

7.0

retreat

95 4.2

sanctuary

142 4.1

Surface Forms

cozy bolthole singular

cozy boltholes plural

cosy boltholes plural

cosy bolthole singular

Morphology

cozy + bolthole

The sense 'a comfortable private retreat' is directly and compositionally derived from 'cozy' (comfortable, inviting) modifying 'bolthole' (a hiding-place or retreat). This adjective+noun pattern is a standard, non-idiomatic combination and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Cozy bolthole may come from the older idea of a bolt plus a hole, a small safe spot you could 'bolt' into. Imagine a tiny, private room where you close the door and relax, and that's why it means 'a comfortable, private place to escape'.