˜yÐÄvlog

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View synonyms for

plain

1

[ pleyn ]

adjective

plainer, plainest.
  1. clear or distinct to the eye or ear: to stand in plain view.

    a plain trail to the river;

    to stand in plain view.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. clear to the mind; evident, manifest, or obvious:

    to make one's meaning plain.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , , , ,

    Antonyms:

  3. conveying the meaning clearly and simply; easily understood:

    plain talk.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  4. plain folly;

    plain stupidity.

  5. free from ambiguity or evasion; candid; outspoken:

    the plain truth of the matter.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , ,

  6. without special pretensions, superiority, elegance, etc.; ordinary:

    plain people.

    Synonyms:

  7. not beautiful; physically unattractive or undistinguished:

    a plain face.

  8. without intricacies or difficulties.
  9. ordinary, simple, or unostentatious:

    Although she was a duchess, her manners were attractively plain.

  10. with little or no embellishment, decoration, or enhancing elaboration:

    a plain blue suit.

  11. without a pattern, figure, or device:

    a plain fabric.

  12. not rich, highly seasoned, or elaborately prepared, as food:

    a plain diet.

  13. flat or level:

    plain country.

    Antonyms:

  14. unobstructed, clear, or open, as ground, a space, etc.
  15. Cards. being other than a face card or a trump.


adverb

  1. clearly and simply:

    He's just plain stupid.

noun

  1. an area of land not significantly higher than adjacent areas and with relatively minor differences in elevation, commonly less than 500 feet (150 meters), within the area.
  2. The Plains. Great Plains.

plain

2

[ pleyn ]

verb (used without object)

British Dialect.
  1. to complain.

plain

1

/ ±è±ô±ðɪ²Ô /

adjective

  1. flat or smooth; level
  2. not complicated; clear

    the plain truth

  3. not difficult; simple or easy

    a plain task

  4. honest or straightforward
  5. lowly, esp in social rank or education
  6. without adornment or show

    a plain coat

  7. (of fabric) without pattern or of simple untwilled weave
  8. not attractive
  9. not mixed; simple

    plain vodka

  10. knitting of or done in plain
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a level or almost level tract of country, esp an extensive treeless region
  2. a simple stitch in knitting made by putting the right needle into a loop on the left needle, passing the wool round the right needle, and pulling it through the loop, thus forming a new loop
  3. in billiards
    1. the unmarked white ball, as distinguished from the spot balls
    2. the player using this ball
  4. (in Ireland) short for plain porter, a light porter

    two pints of plain, please

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. (intensifier)

    just plain tired

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

plain

2

/ ±è±ô±ðɪ²Ô /

verb

  1. a dialect or poetic word for complain
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

plain

/ ±è±ôÄå²Ô /

  1. An extensive, relatively level area of land. Plains are present on all continents except Antarctica and are most often located in the interior regions. Because they can occur at almost any altitude or latitude, plains can be humid and forested, semiarid and grass-covered, or arid.
  2. A broad, level expanse, such as an area of the sea floor or a lunar mare.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ±è±ô²¹¾±²Ô±ô²â, adverb
  • ˈ±è±ô²¹¾±²Ô²Ô±ð²õ²õ, noun
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Other ˜yÐÄvlog Forms

  • ±è±ô²¹¾±²Ô·±ô²â adverb
  • ±è±ô²¹¾±²Ô·²Ô±ð²õ²õ noun
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of plain1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English adjective, adverb, and noun plain(e), plein(e), from Old French adjective and noun plain(e), pleine, from Latin ±è±ôÄå²Ôus “flat, level,†±è±ôÄå²Ôum “flat countryâ€

Origin of plain2

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English plei(g)nen, plene(n), from Anglo-French plainer, pleiner, Old French plaign-, stem of plaindre, pleindre, from Latin plangere “to strike, beat (the breast, etc.), lamentâ€
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of plain1

C13: from Old French: simple, from Latin ±è±ôÄå²Ôus level, distinct, clear

Origin of plain2

C14 pleignen, from Old French plaindre to lament, from Latin plangere to beat
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. in plain sight. in plain sight ( def ).

More idioms and phrases containing plain

  • in plain English
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Synonym Study

See homely.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Mr Lee remembers walking through campus one day, when they saw a girl being interrogated by two plain clothes policemen.

From

These movies frequently become mired in their own good intentions, diluting their messaging to something as plain and palatable as, say, “Love, Simon.â€

From

“This is not about curriculum transparency, it’s about censorship, plain and simple,†Salinas told The Times.

From

It is becoming plain that Kennedy is turning the department from a beacon of science-based medicine and public health into a hive of conspiracy theorists and, as Marks wrote, peddlers of “misinformation and lies.â€

From

Meyers cites this story as a plain example of one party being in the wrong.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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