(archaic, rare, regional) Flat or level
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Not remarkable or special
“He had come to town a simple-hearted country-youth, with no particular hopes, except for a speedy wedding and a plain cottage in the country.”
Not decorated or elaborate
“The church's only entrance was a plain wooden door in a plain brick porch.”
(of a person) Not beautiful or attractive
“Back when she was just plain old Jane Roberts from Santa Barbara, the press wouldn't have splashed pictures of her all over the place.”
Having no pretensions
“He began praising Harrison as a plain and unpretentious man who represented the common citizen.”
Clear and apparent to one's perceptions
“Both teams showed great determination, and it was plain to see that winning would be no easy task.”
(of words) Clearly and simply expressed, without the use of technical or abstruse terms
“I think the candidates need to be very specific and speak in plain English.”
Frank, honest or blunt in manner
“I had to be blunt. People like him need to be spoken to in plain terms.”
Pure and free from impurities
“You need three vanilla beans, and one cup of either plain vodka or brandy.”
Absolute or total in amount or degree
“The last few miles were a plain nightmare. The children were crying all the time and for every possible reason.”
(archaic, rare, regional) Flat or level
“The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.”
Not able to be disputed
Lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting
Requiring or involving very little or no effort
Very pragmatic or realistic, lacking emotion or artificiality
Frumpy and generally unfashionable in appearance
Designed to suit the general public rather than specialists or intellectuals
Ranking below other people or things in importance or class
Of the most basic kind, especially on a fundamental level
Empty or not occupied
Characterized by the lack of artificial additives or preservative treatment
(of sound or color) Free from anything that dulls or dims
Having a naive or unsuspecting nature
Without change or variation
Having only one color
For everyday use or wear, and without formality of style or manner, especially of clothing or accessories
Controlled or reserved in displaying one's emotion
A large area of flat land with few trees
“It could mean the difference between living by the sea or living on a plain in a land-locked area.”
An area of land that is subject to seasonal flooding
“When the marsh surface is inundated, the water table in the marsh plain is raised, and remains near the surface.”
A continuous or wide area or expanse
“Our next day's journey was a drive of six hours, through a tolerable road, and a vast plain of corn.”
Low-lying land, especially a marsh
Free of added milk, sugar, and flavorings
A large area of barren, typically uninhabited land
A low area of land between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it
(Britain) An area of almost perfectly flat land
Used for emphasis
“The solution they came up with was not as scientific as it was just plain ingenious.”
(archaic) In an direct, forthright or honest manner
“Mr. Seymour, don't go parleying about, but just tell me plain an' pat.”
Almost to the same level, amount or degree
To wail in grief for a deceased person
Related Words and Phrases
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