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

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 The town feels down-to-earth, even while offering excellent restaurants, incredible scenery and year-round activities for every age. Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 This down-to-earth transit is all about rolling up your sleeves and diving into the nitty gritty, leaving no room for half-hearted efforts and procrastination. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 June 2025 Mayor Eric Adams has endeared some people with his young-leaning personality, but his attempts at being down-to-earth have also gotten him into multiple pickles over the years. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 17 June 2025 Despite Brentford’s success, Frank has stayed down-to-earth. Jay Harris, New York Times, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for down-to-earth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-earth
Adjective
  • These humble movie moments have now become the foundation of a trending dinner party format.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
  • The company remains true to the humble ethic of hard work and friendly customer service embodied by the founding family.
    Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • If the Islamic Republic could be replaced with something more pragmatic and less ideologically driven than Khomeini’s revolutionary doctrine, few in the Arab Gulf would mourn.
    H.A. Hellyer, Time, 30 June 2025
  • All of this is to say that centrism and pragmatic politics are no means dead in the Democratic Party.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Raj’s meek voice could faintly be heard against the jarring cacophony of honking horns, street performers, and the chatter of street vendors and passersby.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 24 June 2025
  • From small and relatively meek beginnings, proboscideans eventually evolved into herbivorous, elephantine giants with a broad array of different tusk arrangements and shapes.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Two, that the racing footage is incredibly realistic.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 27 June 2025
  • Around-the-clock monitoring is crucial, yet building and staffing a 24/7/365 SOC isn't realistic for the typical small enterprise.
    Ricardo Villadiego, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • About half of organizations using AI in key functions report cost savings or revenue gains, but these benefits are often modest—typically less than 10% cost savings or under 5% revenue increase.
    Karen Kim, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Mamdani's opponents will likely continue to attack him for his views on Israel, which have drawn criticism from some Jewish groups, and his relative inexperience as third-term lawmaker with a very modest record of legislative accomplishment.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Today’s Canadian nationalism, by contrast, arises from darker and more practical concerns.
    Stephen Marche, The Atlantic, 1 July 2025
  • Sierra Designs recently updated their award-winning Mobile Mummy, a practical and comfortable wearable sleeping bag originally released in 2014.
    Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Down-to-earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-earth. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on down-to-earth

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!