flat

flat

adjective

Definition of FLAT

1

being neither more nor less than a certain amount, number, or extent <industrial growth has been a flat two percent for each of the last four quarters>

Synonyms exact, flat, precise, round

Near Antonyms approximate, comparative, near, relative; imprecise

2

causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest <a flat portrayal of Benjamin Franklin in the new TV series>

Synonyms arid, colorless, drab, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monochromatic, monotonous, numbing, old, pedestrian, ponderous, slow, stale, stodgy, stuffy, stupid, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying

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 amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, eye-opening, fabulous, marvelous (or marvellous), sensational, spectacular, surprising, wonderful, wondrous; animating, breathtaking, electrifying, energizing, enlivening, exciting, exhilarating, galvanizing, hair-raising, inspiring, invigorating, rip-roaring, rousing, stimulating, stirring, thrilling; amusing, diverting, entertaining; moving, poignant, touching; alluring, attracting, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, enchanting, enthralling, entrancing, fascinating; mesmerizing, spellbinding; suspenseful; arresting, provocative, tantalizing

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

3

having a surface without bends, breaks, or irregularities <preferred riding her bike on a flat road>

Synonyms even, flat, flush, plane, smooth

Related Words exact, uniform; aligned (also alined), regular, true; horizontal, tabular; plumb, straight, vertical

Near Antonyms inexact, irregular, unaligned, warped; undulating, undulatory, wavy; pitted, pockmarked, pocky

Antonyms bumpy, coarse, lumpy, rough, uneven, unsmoothed

4

having been established and usually not subject to change <charged a flat rate for overseas calls>

Synonyms certain, determinate, final, firm, flat, frozen, hard, hard-and-fast, inexpugnable, set, settled, stable

Related Words nonadjustable, noncancelable, nonnegotiable, unchangeable; constant, steady, unchanging, uniform, unwavering; definite, exact, explicit, specific; given, stated, stipulated; dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, solid, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty

Near Antonyms adjustable, changeable, negotiable; indefinite, open-ended, unspecified; capricious, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

5

having no exceptions or restrictions <a flat denial of the charges>

Synonyms all-out, arrant, blank, blooming [chiefly British], bodacious [Southern & Midland], categorical (also categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very

Related Words authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable; constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting; extreme, unrestricted; confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate; extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific

Near Antonyms doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

6

lacking a surface luster or gloss <used a flat paint for the condo's interior walls>

Synonyms dim, dull, dulled, flat, lusterless

Related Words tarnished, unpolished; cloudy, dingy, dirty, drab, lackluster, mousy (or mousey), muddy; gray (also grey), leaden, pale, palish; black, dark, darkened, darkish, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber (or sombre), stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous

Near Antonyms buffed, burnished, glazed, lacquered, polished, rubbed, shellacked, varnished; satin, satiny; silken, silky; slick, slippery; gemmy, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glittering, scintillating, shimmering, shining, sparkling, twinkling; beaming, bedazzling, bright, brightened, brilliant, candescent, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, radiant, refulgent, resplendent, shining

Antonyms glossy, lustrous, shiny, sleek

7

lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character <a dull, flat person who couldn't come up with an original idea to save her life>

Synonyms banal, flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery

Related Words unexciting, uninspiring, unrewarding; bland, boring, drab, dreary, dry, dull, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, lifeless, monotonous, pedestrian, ponderous, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, vapid, wearisome, weary, wearying; inane; innocuous, inoffensive; mild, soft, subdued, tame, weak; common, commonplace, ordinary, stale, unexceptional

Near Antonyms piquant, poignant, pungent, racy, spicy; meaty, substantial; entertaining, exciting, galvanizing, inspiring, invigorating, thrilling

8

lacking in taste or flavor <this pasta dish tastes a little flat>

Synonyms dead, flat, flavorless, savorless, tasteless, unsavory

Related Words bland, dilute, thin, watery, weak; plain, unflavored

Near Antonyms disgusting, distasteful, loathsome, sickening, unappetizing, unpalatable; cloying, mawkish; appetizing, delectable, delicious, palatable, toothsome; keen, piquant, seasoned, spicy; flavored; heavy, rich

Antonyms flavorful, flavorsome, sapid, savory (also savoury), tasteful, tasty