Snug, Cozy and Comfortable
2023-07-22
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Hi there. This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "snug," "cozy," and "comfortable."
2Dear teacher,
3I am Zalat from Egypt. I hope you are well.
4I would like to know the difference between these words, "snug," "cozy" and "comfortable."
5Thanks a lot,
6Zalat
7Thanks for writing to us, Zalat.
8All three words can mean the same thing, to describe feeling relaxed.
9But there are many small differences, and we can use them in different situations.
10Let's start with "comfortable."
11"Comfortable" is an adjective.
12If we are talking about clothes or household goods like blankets or bedding, we can call them "comfortable" if they give relaxation or physical ease.
13My new bed is so comfortable that I fall asleep right away.
14I love coming home and putting on a pair of comfortable pants.
15We can extend the meaning of physical ease and relaxation to other areas of our lives.
16"Comfortable" can mean freedom from stress or worry.
17She lives a comfortable life out in the country away from the stress of the city.
18The word can also mean being free of pain.
19The nurse asked the patient if she was comfortable after the surgery.
20It can mean having financial security.
21Zeke has a comfortable income now that he started his new job.
22We also have a short form of "comfortable" and that is adjective "comfy."
23She loves to get comfy on the couch and watch her favorite TV shows.
24Let's move onto "cozy."
25"Cozy" is an adjective and overlaps in meaning with "comfortable."
26Something that is "cozy" gives a feeling of comfort, relaxation or closeness.
27We are going to a cozy cottage in Maine for our vacation.
28We had a cozy chat at the coffee shop.
29"Cozy up to" can mean to get closer to something in order to get more comfortable, especially in cold weather.
30I love to cozy up to the fireplace with a good book.
31And lastly, "cozy" has a special meaning as a noun in American English.
32It means a covering to keep drinks warm or cold, especially if they are in cans or bottles.
33She keeps a variety of cozies in her kitchen for her guests' drinks.
34Let's move onto "snug."
35There is a saying that we use often with the word, "as snug as a bug in a rug."
36This saying describes the meaning of "snug" very nicely.
37"Snug" as an adjective has a meaning that combines "comfortable" and "cozy" into one.
38It can describe a feeling of contentment, warmth and protection.
39If you feel as snug as a bug in a rug, you feel warm, safe and comfortable.
40"Snug" also means fitting closely together.
41The tent at our campsite was snug up against the tree in the rain.
42Clothing can be snug, meaning it fits close to the body.
43Shoes should not fit too snug on the feet.
44And finally, as a verb, "snug" means to cause to fit closely or to make snug.
45We get another verb "snuggle" from "snug."
46We use "snuggle" more often. It means to draw physically near for comfort
47My cat loves snuggling up to me in the winter, so he stays warm.
48Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Zalat.
49Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
50And that's Ask a Teacher.
51I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hi there. This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "snug," "cozy," and "comfortable." 2Question: 3Dear teacher, 4I am Zalat from Egypt. I hope you are well. 5I would like to know the difference between these words, "snug," "cozy" and "comfortable." 6Thanks a lot, 7Zalat 8Answer: 9Thanks for writing to us, Zalat. All three words can mean the same thing, to describe feeling relaxed. But there are many small differences, and we can use them in different situations. 10Let's start with "comfortable." 11Comfortable 12"Comfortable" is an adjective. If we are talking about clothes or household goods like blankets or bedding, we can call them "comfortable" if they give relaxation or physical ease. 13My new bed is so comfortable that I fall asleep right away. 14I love coming home and putting on a pair of comfortable pants. 15We can extend the meaning of physical ease and relaxation to other areas of our lives. 16"Comfortable" can mean freedom from stress or worry. 17She lives a comfortable life out in the country away from the stress of the city. 18The word can also mean being free of pain. 19The nurse asked the patient if she was comfortable after the surgery. 20It can mean having financial security. 21Zeke has a comfortable income now that he started his new job. 22We also have a short form of "comfortable" and that is adjective "comfy." 23She loves to get comfy on the couch and watch her favorite TV shows. 24Let's move onto "cozy." 25Cozy 26"Cozy" is an adjective and overlaps in meaning with "comfortable." 27Something that is "cozy" gives a feeling of comfort, relaxation or closeness. 28We are going to a cozy cottage in Maine for our vacation. 29We had a cozy chat at the coffee shop. 30"Cozy up to" can mean to get closer to something in order to get more comfortable, especially in cold weather. 31I love to cozy up to the fireplace with a good book. 32And lastly, "cozy" has a special meaning as a noun in American English. It means a covering to keep drinks warm or cold, especially if they are in cans or bottles. 33She keeps a variety of cozies in her kitchen for her guests' drinks. 34Let's move onto "snug." 35Snug 36There is a saying that we use often with the word, "as snug as a bug in a rug." 37This saying describes the meaning of "snug" very nicely. "Snug" as an adjective has a meaning that combines "comfortable" and "cozy" into one. It can describe a feeling of contentment, warmth and protection. 38If you feel as snug as a bug in a rug, you feel warm, safe and comfortable. 39"Snug" also means fitting closely together. 40The tent at our campsite was snug up against the tree in the rain. 41Clothing can be snug, meaning it fits close to the body. 42Shoes should not fit too snug on the feet. 43And finally, as a verb, "snug" means to cause to fit closely or to make snug. We get another verb "snuggle" from "snug." We use "snuggle" more often. It means to draw physically near for comfort 44My cat loves snuggling up to me in the winter, so he stays warm. 45Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Zalat. 46Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 47And that's Ask a Teacher. 48I'm Faith Pirlo. 49Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 50___________________________________ 51Words in This Story 52relax -v. to become less tense; to become at ease 53stress -n. a state of mental tension or worry; experiencing pressure 54surgery -n. medical treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts 55income - n. money that is earned from work, investments, business, etc. 56cottage - n. a small house 57contentment -n. a feeling of being happy and satisfied 58tent - n. a portable shelter that is used outdoors, is made of cloth (such as canvas or nylon), and is held up with poles and 59Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 60Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.