collocation · informal

home-cooked meal

UK/ˌhəʊmˈkʊkt miːl/US/ˌhoʊmˈkʊkt miːl/home·COOKED·meal

Band 4-5speakingtask2

a meal that is cooked at home rather than bought ready-made or eaten in a restaurant

Examples

After a long day at work, I prefer a simple home-cooked meal.

She brought a home-cooked meal to her sick neighbour.

We have a home-cooked meal together every Sunday.

Band 8 sentence

Whenever possible, I opt for a home-cooked meal because it's healthier and more economical than eating out.

Collocations

  • prepare a home-cooked meal
  • prefer home-cooked food
  • enjoy a home-cooked dinner

Word family

home-cooked adjectivehome cooking nouncook at home verb phrase

Common mistakes

I made home meal for my family.I made a home-cooked meal for my family.

She cooked homemade dinner.She cooked a homemade dinner.

Say it for a higher band

5home food6homemade food7+home-cooked meal

Synonyms

homemade

Easily confused

homemade

I always prefer homemade desserts to store-bought ones.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Food & Cooking

Learn it with its set