flat

¹flat

adj \ˈflat\

flat·terflat·test

Definition of FLAT

1

a : lying at full length or spread out upon the ground : prostrate b : utterly ruined or destroyed c : resting with a surface against something

2

a : having a continuous horizontal surface b : being or characterized by a horizontal line or tracing without peaks or depressions <a flat EEG>

3

: having a relatively smooth or even surface

4

: arranged or laid out so as to be level or even

5

a : having the major surfaces essentially parallel and distinctly greater than the minor surfaces <a flat piece of wood> b of a shoe heel : very low and broad

6

a : clearly unmistakable <a flat denial> b (1) : not varying : fixed <a flat rate> (2) : having no fraction either lacking or in excess : exact <in a flat 10 seconds> (3) of a frequency response : not varying significantly throughout its range

7

a : lacking in animation, zest, or vigor : dull b : lacking flavor : tasteless c : lacking effervescence or sparkle <flat ginger ale> d : commercially inactive; also : characterized by no significant rise or decline from one period to another <sales were flat> e of a tire : lacking air : deflated f chiefly British of a battery : dead 3c, discharged

8

a (1) of a tone : lowered a half step in pitch (2) : lower than the proper pitch b of the vowel a : pronounced as in bad or bat

9

a : having a low trajectory b of a tennis stroke : made so as to give little or no spin to the ball

10

of a sail : taut

11

a : uniform in hue or shade b : having little or no illusion of depth c of a photograph or negative : lacking contrast d of lighting conditions : lacking shadows or contours e : free from gloss <a flat paint> f : two-dimensional 3 <flat characters>

12

: of, relating to, or used in competition on the flat <a flat horse>

13

of a universe : having a mass such that expansion halts only after infinite time and collapse never occurs

— flat·ly adverb

— flat·ness noun

— flat·tish \ˈfla-tish\ adjective

Examples of FLAT

1. the flat top of the table
2. the flat landscape of the prairie
3. Coins are usually round and flat.
4. a flat piece of wood

Origin of FLAT

Middle English, from Old Norse flatr; akin to Old High German flaz flat, and probably to Greek platys broad — more at place

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to FLAT

Synonyms: exact, even, precise, round

Antonyms: absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting

Related Words: aseptic, barren, blah, dullish, pleasureless, prosaic, prosy, soggy, spiritless; blank, earthbound, gray (also grey), inanimate, pallid, pedantic, sterile, suspenseless, undramatic, uneventful, unexciting, unimaginative, uninspiring, unnewsworthy, unrewarding, unsensational, unspectacular; annoying, bothersome, irksome, irritating; longsome; palling; draining, enervating, exhausting, fatiguing, wearing; debilitating, enfeebling; demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting; common, commonplace, ordinary, tepid, unexceptional, unsurprising, vapid; cumbersome, lumbering, plodding, poky (or pokey)

Near Antonyms: approximate, comparative, near, relative; imprecise

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at level, insipid

Rhymes with FLAT

bat, batt, blat, brat, cat, Cat, chat, chert, drat, fat, frat, gat, gnat, hat, mat, Matt, matte, pat, phat, plait, plat, Pratt, rat, sat, scat, scatt, skat, slat, spat, splat, sprat, stat, tat, that, vat