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1

flat

play
adjective \ˈflat\

Definition of flat

flatter

;

flattest

  1. 1a :  lying at full length or spread out upon the ground :  prostrate The soldiers were lying flat on the ground.b :  utterly ruined or destroyed buildings flat from the blastc :  resting with a surface against something Push the chairs flat against the wall.

  2. 2a :  having a continuous horizontal surface the flat landscape of the prairieb :  being or characterized by a horizontal line or tracing without peaks or depressions a flat EEG

  3. 3 :  having a relatively smooth or even surface a flat computer disk

  4. 4 :  arranged or laid out so as to be level or even maps flat on the desk

  5. 5a :  having the major surfaces essentially parallel and distinctly greater than the minor surfaces a flat piece of woodb of a shoe heel :  very low and broad flat shoes for work

  6. 6a :  clearly unmistakable a flat denialb (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. 7a :  lacking in animation, zest, or vigor :  dull He spoke in a flat, tired voice.b :  lacking flavor :  tasteless The stew is too flat.c :  lacking effervescence or sparkle flat ginger aled :  commercially inactive; also :  characterized by no significant rise or decline from one period to another sales were flate of a tire :  lacking air :  deflatedf chiefly British, of a battery :  dead 3c, discharged

  8. 8a (1) of a tone :  lowered a half step in pitch (2) :  lower than the proper pitchb of the vowel a :  pronounced as in bad or bat

  9. 9a :  having a low trajectory (see trajectory 1) made a flat pass that was interceptedb of a tennis stroke :  made so as to give little or no spin to the ball

  10. 10 :  not having an inflectional ending flat adverbs

  11. 11 of a sail :  taut

  12. 12a :  uniform in hue or shade figures standing out against a background of flat washb :  having little or no illusion of depthc of a photograph or negative :  lacking contrastd of lighting conditions :  lacking shadows or contourse :  free from gloss :  having a nonreflective finish a flat paintf :  two-dimensional 3 flat characters

  13. 13 :  of, relating to, or used in competition on the flat a flat horse

  14. 14 of a universe :  having a mass such that expansion halts only after infinite time and collapse never occurs

flatly

adverb

flatness

noun

flattish

play \ˈfla-tish\ adjective

See flat defined for English-language learners

See flat defined for kids

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Examples of flat in a Sentence

  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 and Etymology 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

flat Synonyms

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

Synonym Discussion of flat

level, flat, plane, even, smooth mean having a surface without bends, curves, or irregularities. level applies to a horizontal surface that lies on a line parallel with the horizon. the vast prairies are nearly level flat applies to a surface devoid of noticeable curvatures, prominences, or depressions. the work surface must be flat plane applies to any real or imaginary flat surface in which a straight line between any two points on it lies wholly within that surface. the plane sides of a crystal even applies to a surface that is noticeably flat or level or to a line that is observably straight. trim the hedge so it is even smooth applies especially to a polished surface free of irregularities. a smooth skating rink

insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character. insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest. an insipid romance with platitudes on every page vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit. an exciting story given a vapid treatment flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest. although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance. a jejune and gassy speech banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy. a banal tale of unrequited love inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality. an inane interpretation of the play
2

flat

noun

Definition of flat

  1. 1a :  a level surface of land —usually used in plural sagebrush flats tidal flatsb :  a stretch of land without obstacles; especially :  a track or course for a flat race —usually used with the has won twice on the flat

  2. 2 :  a flat part or surface the flat of one's hand

  3. 3a :  a musical note or tone one half step lower than a specified note or toneb :  a character ♭ on a line or space of the musical staff indicating a half step drop in pitch

  4. 4 :  something flat: such asa :  a shallow container for shipping produceb :  a shallow box in which seedlings are startedc :  a flat piece of theatrical sceneryd :  a shoe or slipper having a flat heel or no heel

  5. 5 chiefly British :  an apartment on one floor

  6. 6 :  a deflated tire

  7. 7 :  the area to either side of an offensive football formation

See flat defined for English-language learners

Examples of flat in a Sentence

  1. the flat of your hand

  2. the flat of a sword

Origin and Etymology of flat

see 1flat


First Known Use: 14th century

flat Synonyms

Synonyms
diggings [chiefly British], digs, apartment [chiefly British], lodgings, suite, tenement
Related Words
bed-sitter (also bedsit or bed-sitting-room) [British], cohousing, condo, condominium, duplex, duplex apartment, efficiency, efficiency apartment, flatlet [British], floor-through, garden apartment, granny flat [chiefly British], maisonette, penthouse, railroad flat, salon, saloon [chiefly British], studio, studio apartment, triplex, walk-up; gallery, wing; apartment building, apartment house, tenement house
3

flat

adverb

Definition of flat

  1. 1 :  in a flat manner :  directly, positively

  2. 2 :  in a complete manner :  absolutely flat broke

  3. 3 :  below the proper musical pitch

  4. 4 :  without interest charge; especially :  without allowance or charge for accrued interest bonds sold flat

See flat defined for English-language learners

Examples of flat in a Sentence

  1. Lay the map flat on the desk.

  2. He slipped and landed flat on his back.

  3. We asked for more time but they turned us down flat.

Origin and Etymology of flat

see 1flat


First Known Use: 1531

flat Synonyms

Synonyms
all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, fully, full, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb [chiefly dialect], quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide
Antonyms
half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly
Related Words
absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly; basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially; abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly
Near Antonyms
barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially; approximately, roughly, somewhat
4

flat

verb

Definition of flat

flatted

;

flatting
  1. transitive verb

  2. 1 :  flatten

  3. 2 :  to lower in pitch especially by a half step

  4. intransitive verb

  5. :  to sing or play below the true pitch

Origin and Etymology of flat

see 1flat


First Known Use: circa 1604

Phrases Related to FLAT

Related Phrases

FLAT Defined for English Language Learners

flat

play
adjective

Definition of flat for English Language Learners

  • : having a smooth, level, or even surface : not having curves or bumps

  • : having a wide, smooth surface and little thickness

  • of a shoe heel : very low and wide; also of a shoe : having a flat heel or no heel

flat

noun

Definition of flat for English Language Learners

  • : a level area of land

  • : a flat part or surface

  • : a musical note that is one semitone lower than a specified note

flat

adverb

Definition of flat for English Language Learners

  • : on or against a flat surface

  • : in the position of someone or something that is lying spread out on the ground or another surface

  • : exactly or precisely

FLAT Defined for Kids

1

flat

play
adjective \ˈflat\

Definition of flat for Students

flatter

;

flattest

  1. 1 :  having a smooth level surface a flat rock

  2. 2 :  spread out on or along a surface He was lying flat on his back.

  3. 3 :  having a broad smooth surface and little thickness A CD is flat.

  4. 4 :  very clear and definite a flat refusal

  5. 5 :  not changing in amount I charge a flat rate.

  6. 6 :  not showing active business Sales are flat.

  7. 7 :  1dull 3 a flat story She spoke in a flat, tired voice.

  8. 8 :  having lost air a flat tire

  9. 9 :  no longer having bubbles flat ginger ale

  10. 10 :  lower than the true musical pitch

  11. 11 :  lower by a half step in music

  12. 12 :  not shiny flat paint

flatly

adverb He flatly refused to help.
2

flat

play
noun

Definition of flat for Students

  1. 1 :  a level area of land :  plain

  2. 2 :  a flat part or surface the flat of the hand

  3. 3 :  a note or tone that is a half step lower than the note named

  4. 4 :  a sign ♭ meaning that the pitch of a musical note is to be lower by a half step

  5. 5 :  a tire that has lost air

3

flat

play
adverb

Definition of flat for Students

  1. 1 :  on or against a flat surface lie flat

  2. 2 :  without any time more or less :  exactly ten seconds flat

  3. 3 :  below the true musical pitch

Medical Dictionary

flat

play
adjective \ˈflat\

Medical Definition of flat

flatter

;

flattest

  1. 1:  being or characterized by a horizontal line or tracing without peaks or depressions the EEG is ominously flat indicating that her brain function is gone—Don Gold

  2. 2:  characterized by general impoverishment in the presence of emotion-evoking stimuli flat affect often occurs in schizophrenia

flatness

noun

Law Dictionary

1

flat

adjective

Legal Definition of flat

  1. :  not varying a flat rate; specifically of a tax :  having a rate that remains constant for any taxable base

2

flat

adverb

Legal Definition of flat

  1. :  without interest charge; especially :  without allowance or charge for accrued interest bonds sold flat

Learn More about flat

  1. See words that rhyme with flat Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for flat Spanish Central: Translation of flat Nglish: Translation of flat for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of flat for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flat

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Examples: flat in a Sentence
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