SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

down-to-earth

adjective

Definition of down-to-earth

1 :practical

down-to-earth traveling tips

2 :unpretentious

surprised to find the movie star so down-to-earth

—

down-to-earthness

noun

See down-to-earth defined for English-language learners

See down-to-earth defined for kids

First Known Use of down-to-earth

1932

down-to-earth Synonyms

Synonyms

demure, down-to-earth, lowly, meek, modest, unassuming, unpretentious

Antonyms

arrogant, bumptious, chesty, conceited, egotistic (or egotistical), fastuous, haughty, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, hoity-toity, huffish, huffy, imperious, lordly, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

Related Words

acquiescent, compliant, deferential, resigned, submissive, unaggressive, unassertive, yielding; cowering, cringing, shrinking; ingenuous, naive (or naïve), plain, simple, unaffected; bashful, diffident, introverted, mousy (or mousey), overmodest, passive, quiet, reserved, retiring, sheepish, shy, subdued, timid, unobtrusive; aw-shucks, self-deprecating, self-deprecatory, self-effacing

Near Antonyms

aggressive, assertive, audacious, bold, brash, brassy, cheeky, forward, impertinent, impudent, saucy; cocksure, cocky, confident, hubristic, overconfident, self-confident; egocentric, egoistic (also egoistical), narcissistic, prideful, self-affected, self-centered, self-complacent, self-conceited, self-congratulatory, self-contented, self-engrossed, self-important, self-obsessed, self-pleased, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, swelled-headed; boastful, bombastic, braggy, swaggering, vain, vainglorious; condescending, disdainful, dominant, dominating, domineering, magisterial, overbearing, patronizing, pontificating; flamboyant, ostentatious, showy; extroverted (also extraverted), immodest, outgoing, uninhibited, unreserved

DOWN-TO-EARTH Defined for English Language Learners

down-to-earth

adjective

Definition of down-to-earth for English Language Learners

: informal and easy to talk to
: practical and sensible

Learn More about down-to-earth

See words that rhyme with down-to-earth Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for down-to-earth Nglish: Translation of down-to-earth for Spanish speakers

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BROWSE DICTIONARY

down to

down-to-date

down-to-earth

Downtonian

down to size

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