Synonyms of down-to-earth

down-to-earth

adjective

ˈdau̇n-tü-ˈərth 

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

• humble
• meek
• modest
• unassuming
• unaffected
• unpretentious
• timid
• naive
• demure
• simple
• lowly
• quiet
• shy
• passive
• deferential
• subdued
• unassertive
• compliant
• submissive
• unaggressive
• acquiescent
• resigned
• unobtrusive
• ingenuous
• plain
• reserved
• diffident
• yielding
• bashful
• introverted
• sheepish
• shrinking
• retiring
• mousy
• self-effacing
• self-deprecating
• cringing
• aw-shucks
• self-deprecatory
• cowering
• overmodest

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• arrogant
• superior
• pretentious
• pompous
• haughty
• supercilious
• confident
• aggressive
• high-and-mighty
• conceited
• assertive
• bumptious
• egotistic
• imperious
• presumptuous
• bold
• uppity
• cheeky
• highfalutin
• peremptory
• saucy
• audacious
• impudent
• brassy
• high-handed
• brash
• cocky
• forward
• uppish
• huffy
• high-hat
• lordly
• impertinent
• overweening
• smug
• chesty
• cocksure
• narcissistic
• egocentric
• overconfident
• hubristic
• presuming
• hoity-toity
• egoistic
• self-assertive
• prideful
• dominant
• boastful
• bombastic
• huffish
• vain
• condescending
• self-confident
• fastuous
• disdainful
• self-asserting
• vainglorious
• toplofty
• flamboyant
• overbearing
• patronizing
• swaggering
• domineering
• showy
• outgoing
• self-centered
• self-important
• magisterial
• ostentatious
• uninhibited
• stuck-up
• self-satisfied
• dominating
• self-complacent
• extroverted
• self-contented
• self-engrossed
• self-congratulatory
• self-obsessed
• self-conceited
• braggy
• self-affected
• unreserved
• swelled-headed
• self-pleased
• immodest
• pontificating

2

as in pragmatic

willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

a down-to-earth guidance counselor who is frank in telling students which colleges they're likely to get into

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pragmatic
• realistic
• practical
• sensible
• matter-of-fact
• earthy
• rational
• cynical
• logical
• reasonable
• hardheaded
• grounded
• sound
• sober
• utilitarian
• sane
• levelheaded
• commonsensical
• no-nonsense
• skeptical
• unsentimental
• unromantic
• bottom-line
• disillusioned
• hard
• pessimistic
• tough-minded
• hard-edged
• misanthropic
• suspicious
• idealless
• distrustful
• sobersided
• mistrustful
• philistine
• hard-boiled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• idealistic
• unrealistic
• imaginative
• impractical
• visionary
• romantic
• utopian
• blue-sky
• fanciful
• fantastic
• sentimental
• optimistic
• cheerful
• theoretical
• unreasonable
• trusting
• irrational
• illogical
• insane
• trustful
• rose-colored
• unsuspicious
• half-baked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of down-to-earth

That down-to-earth nature has even shifted some allegiances back in North Carolina ahead of the big game on Sunday. —Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

Eschewing overblown drama or scandalous moments, there is a refreshingly down-to-earth tone to The Boyfriend that sets it apart from other reality series. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026

His winning smile and enduring optimism, along with his habit of riding his bicycle to work while chomping on an apple seemed to help cement his popularity in the Netherlands, where such down-to-earth behavior is prized. —Mike Corder, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026

Joining the ensemble cast of a hit show during its third season was understandably intimidating, but Dodd has nothing but good things to say about how her costars welcomed her, calling them the nicest, most normal, down-to-earth people. —Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 15 Jan. 2026