folksy

[ fohk-see ]

adjective

, folk·si·er, folk·si·est.

1. friendly or neighborly; sociable.
2. very informal; familiar; unceremonious:

   The politician affected a folksy style.

3. belonging to the common people, especially in regard to a conscious use of mannerisms, speech patterns, attitudes, etc.:

   folksy humor.

folksy

/ ˈfəʊksɪ /

adjective

1. of or like ordinary people; sometimes used derogatorily to describe affected simplicity
2. informal.
   friendly; affable
3. of or relating to folk art

Derived Forms

• ˈfolksiness, noun

Other Words From

• folksi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of folksy¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; folks + -y ¹,

Example Sentences

As The Atlantic’s Tim Young notes, “Today’s Republican leaders are cowards, and some are even worse: They are complicit, as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin proved… At least cowards run away…. Youngkin, however, smiled and dissembled and excused Trump’s hideousness with a kind of folksy shamelessness that made cowardice seem noble by comparison.”

From Salon

The Vance who showed up at CBS seemed reasonable, misled the audience confidently and smoothly, and wrapped an extremist agenda in a fuchsia tie and a few folksy stories to seem family-friendly.

From Salon

Walz is at home on the campaign stump, using his folksy style in contrast to more polished politicians.

From BBC

What will it take for Tim Walz to appear more folksy than he already does?

From Los Angeles Times

But since then, the headlines have more often focused on his controversies than his folksy appeal.

From BBC

Related Words

• down-to-earth
• homey
• low-key
• rustic
• unpretentious