1
as in humble
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
we were all impressed by how down-to-earth the movie star turned out to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a down-to-earth guidance counselor who is frank in telling students which colleges they're likely to get into
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of down-to-earth
To Mathias’ rescue, again and again, is his down-to-earth yet wizardly agent, Max (frequent Desplechin collaborator Hippolyte Girardot, in ace form).
—
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Hofstadter instead decided to test out a more down-to-earth approach.
—Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Her accountant was very down-to-earth.
—Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Not that the down-to-earth stage royal visualizes her name spelled out in lights.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-earth
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Hofstadter instead decided to test out a more down-to-earth approach.
—Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Her accountant was very down-to-earth.
—Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Not that the down-to-earth stage royal visualizes her name spelled out in lights.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for down-to-earth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-earth
Adjective
-
From the humble red dwarfs to the titanic supergiants, stars come in a dazzling array of sizes, colors, and lifespans.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Heading into the season, Shough's had a humble headspace.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The concept for Lilith, as McLachlan and her co-founders—her agent, manager, and road manager at the time—make clear, was less ideological than pragmatic.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Slot’s more patient and pragmatic Liverpool is a reflection of a new reality, which Klopp himself acknowledges.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Doherty, 30, is playing meek flower shop assistant Seymour in the treasured musical, about a strange and unusual plant that feeds only on human flesh and blood.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
18 Sep. 2025
-
What threatened to be a meek, straight-sets exit for the 13th seed went full-metal crazy on match point down when Bonzi was interrupted from serving it out after a photographer absent-mindedly walked onto the court.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Many experts argue that while EV fire risks are serious, turning a battery into a flying hazard is not a realistic path forward.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Those on-demand, realistic substitutes could potentially expedite training for healthcare professions.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On Friday, analysts at Bank of American said the economic effects of government shutdowns are typically modest and short-lived.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Lawmakers could consider a mix of tax adjustments, changes to inflation formulas, and modest increases to the retirement age.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Playful and practical John and Catherine’s grandchildren also have their own suite, though Catherine and Justice made the design choices for them.—
Lennie Omalza,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Why not put all those periods of training camp work to practical use?—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Down-to-earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-earth. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share