Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
hostly

hostly

8.2
Being friendly and welcoming to guests
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɔstli/
  • Archaic
translation icon : hospitalario
  • His hostly demeanor at the dinner party made everyone feel comfortable and included.

Examples

  • The hotel staff provided a hostly welcome, making sure every guest felt at home.

  • She prepared a hostly meal for her friends, filled with warmth and kindness.

  • It was as if he heard nothing, so intent was he on being, it finally occurred to Sassy, not so much a man being manly with a daughter instead of a son, but, well, a lordly, goodly, hostly man, generous in **25;1549;TOOLONG.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

welcoming
vshostly
66 1.0

A friendly way of acting that makes people feel comfortable

is a trait of someone who receives guests rather than a simple greeting action
neighborly
vshostly
  • US
24 1.6

Friendly and helpful to people who live near you

is focused on helping nearby people rather than receiving guests
hospitable
vshostly
14 3.8

Friendly and generous to guests so they feel welcome

is a quality shown by someone receiving guests rather than general friendliness
warm and inviting
vshostly
2 3.5

A place or atmosphere that makes people feel relaxed and welcome

is a personal quality of someone receiving guests rather than an atmosphere
superfriendly
vshostly
  • Informal
3.2

Very warm and welcoming to people

is moderate and comfortably friendly rather than extreme in intensity

Antonyms

unwelcoming
3 4.5

Not friendly and making people feel unwanted or uncomfortable

How Hospitable

gracious
166 3.4
hospitable
14 3.8
hostly
  • Archaic
8.2
welcoming
66 1.0
cordial
33 4.1
warm
280 1.0

Surface Forms

hostly positive

Morphology

hostly = host (transparent) = host + ly

Formed by the regular adjectival suffix '-ly' on the noun 'host', giving the predictable sense 'characteristic of a host; hospitable'.

Etymology

The word hostly comes from the old word host, which goes back to Latin hospes meaning 'host' or 'guest'. It is the same root as hospitality and hotel, so hostly means being welcoming and friendly like a good host.