no-frills

adjective

ˈnō-ˈfrilz 

: offering or providing only the essentials : not fancy, elaborate, or luxurious

a no-frills airline

Synonyms

• spartan
• simple
• austere

Examples of no-frills in a Sentence

a low-cost, no-frills vacation during which we camped out and cooked our own meals

Recent Examples on the Web

This sixth edition, which is a prequel to the original 2000 masterpiece, hits all the notes that make this series so worth fans’ time — the memorable ensemble casts, the no-frills storylines, the fun twists and turns and, most significantly, the crazy-clever death scenes. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025

The no-frills defensive defenseman, a Franklin native, played 17 games last season. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025

This no-frills burger-and-beer joint opened on College Avenue, downtown’s main drag, in 2004 and is the newest of the dive bars mentioned here. —Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025

Whereas Steve has the no-frills style of an American tech executive, Noone carries himself with a certain theatrical flair. —Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for no-frills

• bluegills
• brazils
• distills
• distils
• foothills
• fulfills
• fulfils
• handbills
• instills
• landfills
• refills
• sandhills