Synonyms of flat

flat 1 of 3

adjective

ˈflat 

1

as in exact

being neither more nor less than a certain amount, number, or extent

industrial growth has been a flat two percent for each of the last four quarters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exact
• round
• precise
• even

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relative
• near
• comparative
• approximate
• imprecise

2

as in boring

causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest

a flat portrayal of Benjamin Franklin in the new TV series

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boring
• slow
• tiring
• dull
• stupid
• old
• dusty
• dry
• weary
• heavy
• wearying
• pedestrian
• uninteresting
• annoying
• drab
• tame
• arid
• irritating
• monotonous
• monochromatic
• colorless
• leaden
• stale
• tiresome
• humdrum
• tedious
• stodgy
• dreary
• wearisome
• sterile
• pallid
• ponderous
• stuffy
• grey
• blank
• ho-hum
• barren
• numbing
• jejune
• gray
• exhausting
• soggy
• prosaic
• unexciting
• dullish
• mind-numbing
• unimaginative
• drudging
• uneventful
• draining
• uninspiring
• unspectacular
• inanimate
• jading
• blah
• spiritless
• earthbound
• prosy
• undramatic
• aseptic
• pedantic
• unrewarding
• ordinary
• bothersome
• wearing
• common
• irksome
• suspenseless
• unnewsworthy
• unsensational
• poky
• unexceptional
• pokey
• fatiguing
• vapid
• pleasureless
• tepid
• debilitating
• cumbersome
• commonplace
• discouraging
• lumbering
• dispiriting
• unsurprising
• plodding
• disheartening
• longsome
• demoralizing
• palling
• enervating
• enfeebling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interesting
• involving
• spectacular
• wonderful
• engaging
• intriguing
• gripping
• marvellous
• amazing
• riveting
• absorbing
• astonishing
• surprising
• sensational
• marvelous
• engrossing
• awesome
• wondrous
• fabulous
• exciting
• breathtaking
• astounding
• attractive
• moving
• charming
• inspiring
• amusing
• stimulating
• entertaining
• thrilling
• electrifying
• exhilarating
• animating
• rousing
• touching
• stirring
• energizing
• fascinating
• enchanting
• poignant
• alluring
• attracting
• beguiling
• enthralling
• enlivening
• entrancing
• bewitching
• rip-roaring
• galvanizing
• invigorating
• eye-opening
• diverting
• hair-raising
• provocative
• captivating
• suspenseful
• tantalizing
• spellbinding
• arresting
• mesmerizing

3

as in plane

having a surface without bends, breaks, or irregularities

preferred riding her bike on a flat road

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plane
• smooth
• level
• horizontal
• exact
• even
• flush
• vertical
• uniform
• regular
• true
• straight
• aligned
• alined
• tabular
• plumb

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• coarse
• uneven
• rough
• lumpy
• bumpy
• irregular
• warped
• undulating
• wavy
• inexact
• unsmoothed
• undulatory
• unaligned
• pitted
• pockmarked
• pocky

4

as in stable

having been established and usually not subject to change

charged a flat rate for priority shipping

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stable
• fixed
• unchanging
• certain
• final
• unchangeable
• frozen
• settled
• firm
• hard
• set
• determinate
• steady
• constant
• uniform
• inexpugnable
• hard-and-fast
• solid
• good
• specific
• definite
• reliable
• nonadjustable
• explicit
• safe
• exact
• dependable
• true
• nonnegotiable
• responsible
• stated
• noncancelable
• trustworthy
• stipulated
• given
• unwavering
• sure
• trusty
• tried
• tried-and-true

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adjustable
• negotiable
• changeable
• indefinite
• variable
• unspecified
• unstable
• volatile
• fluid
• uncertain
• unpredictable
• open-ended
• fluctuating
• unsettled
• capricious
• mercurial
• mutable
• unsteady
• temperamental
• inconstant
• changeful
• flickery

5

as in simple

having no exceptions or restrictions

a flat denial of the charges

Synonyms & Similar Words

• simple
• complete
• unconditional
• absolute
• sheer
• pure
• utter
• total
• perfect
• very
• outright
• definite
• damned
• damn
• clean
• real
• blank
• huge
• regular
• crashing
• plumb
• deadly
• dead
• categorical
• endless
• downright
• stone
• stark
• fair
• profound
• flat-out
• dreadful
• unadulterated
• thorough
• unmitigated
• straight-out
• thoroughgoing
• unqualified
• unalloyed
• blooming
• constant
• out-and-out
• rank
• consummate
• genuine
• arrant
• bodacious
• categoric
• horrible
• perpetual
• eternal
• all-out
• authentic
• terrible
• classic
• main
• veritable
• extreme
• unrestricted
• hopeless
• extraordinary
• unremitting
• terrific
• undying
• habitual
• supreme
• confirmed
• superlative
• inveterate
• frightful
• surpassing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• uncertain
• restricted
• questionable
• doubtful
• qualified
• dubious
• equivocal

6

as in matte

lacking a surface luster or gloss

used a flat paint for the condo's interior walls

Synonyms & Similar Words

• matte
• matt
• mat
• grey
• gray
• dull
• lusterless
• dulled
• pale
• black
• dim
• dark
• darkened
• drab
• unpolished
• muddy
• dingy
• lackluster
• tarnished
• leaden
• dirty
• mousy
• obscured
• cloudy
• sombre
• obscure
• dusky
• mousey
• gloomy
• murky
• somber
• darkish
• palish
• pitch-black
• pitch-dark
• dimmed
• stygian
• tenebrous
• tenebrific

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shiny
• glossy
• sleek
• polished
• lustrous
• rubbed
• lacquered
• varnished
• glazed
• burnished
• satin
• silky
• satiny
• slick
• slippery
• silken
• shining
• buffed
• sparkling
• gleaming
• bright
• brilliant
• glistening
• luminous
• shellacked
• shimmering
• dazzling
• radiant
• incandescent
• lucid
• resplendent
• twinkling
• lucent
• glowing
• lambent
• effulgent
• glittering
• scintillating
• gemmy
• glimmering
• glinting
• refulgent
• brightened
• beaming
• candescent
• fulgent
• bedazzling

7

as in bland

lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character

a dull, flat reading of a story that was really quite exciting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boring
• bland
• dull
• banal
• tiring
• insipid
• watery
• weak
• subdued
• dry
• milk-and-water
• heavy
• lifeless
• uninteresting
• unexciting
• drab
• wishy-washy
• pedestrian
• soft
• uninspiring
• weary
• monotonous
• leaden
• tiresome
• vapid
• namby-pamby
• humdrum
• tedious
• ordinary
• unrewarding
• dreary
• wearying
• mild
• wearisome
• tame
• ponderous
• innocuous
• inoffensive
• inane
• unexceptional
• stale
• commonplace
• jading
• common

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• spicy
• substantial
• pungent
• poignant
• piquant
• racy
• exciting
• entertaining
• meaty
• inspiring
• thrilling
• galvanizing
• invigorating

8

as in thin

lacking in taste or flavor

this pasta dish tastes a little flat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bland
• thin
• plain
• tasteless
• insipid
• dead
• weak
• flavorless
• savorless
• unsavory
• watery
• dilute
• unflavored

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tasty
• tasteful
• flavorful
• savory
• disgusting
• loathsome
• sickening
• delicious
• distasteful
• unpalatable
• unappetizing
• savoury
• mawkish
• delectable
• cloying
• flavorsome
• palatable
• appetizing
• seasoned
• spicy
• sapid
• heavy
• rich
• keen
• piquant
• flavored
• toothsome

flat

2 of 3

adverb

as in completely

to a full extent or degree

I am flat broke this week

Synonyms & Similar Words

• completely
• perfectly
• quite
• totally
• fully
• utterly
• fast
• all
• wide
• wholly
• well
• thoroughly
• entirely
• entire
• exactly
• even
• absolutely
• out
• clean
• dead
• enough
• for fair
• full
• soundly
• in whole
• basically
• to pieces
• at length
• down the line
• plain
• all the way
• to bits
• all over
• plumb
• altogether
• heartily
• down to the ground
• cold
• through and through
• to the max
• mostly
• substantially
• to the hilt
• generally
• largely
• all of
• predominantly
• mainly
• downright
• categorically
• principally
• primarily
• predominately
• stone
• unqualifiedly
• chiefly
• stone-cold
• by and large
• generously
• greatly
• more or less
• overall
• hands down
• abundantly
• copiously

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• partially
• partly
• halfway
• half
• slightly
• just
• barely
• hardly
• marginally
• minimally
• scarcely
• superficially
• somewhat
• incompletely
• part
• approximately
• roughly
• kind of

flat

3 of 3

noun

chiefly British

as in apartment

a room or set of rooms in a private house or a block used as a separate dwelling place

had to take on a third roommate in order to afford the bigger flat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• apartment
• penthouse
• lodgings
• condominium
• tenement
• suite
• digs
• studio
• condo
• duplex
• bedsit
• diggings
• efficiency
• wing
• railroad flat
• walk-up
• saloon
• studio apartment
• garden apartment
• efficiency apartment
• duplex apartment
• floor-through
• flatlet
• bed-sitter
• maisonette
• bed-sitting-room
• triplex
• salon
• granny flat
• apartment building
• apartment house
• tenement house
• gallery
• cohousing

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective flat contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of flat are even, level, plane, and smooth. While all these words mean "having a surface without bends, curves, or irregularities," flat applies to a surface devoid of noticeable curvatures, prominences, or depressions.

the work surface must be flat

When would even be a good substitute for flat?

In some situations, the words even and flat are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When is it sensible to use level instead of flat?

The words level and flat can be used in similar contexts, but level applies to a horizontal surface that lies on a line parallel with the horizon.

the vast prairies are nearly level

Where would plane be a reasonable alternative to flat?

While in some cases nearly identical to 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

When is smooth a more appropriate choice than flat?

The words smooth and flat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, smooth applies especially to a polished surface free of irregularities.

a smooth skating rink

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of flat

Adjective

These flat terraces can end up covered with river sediments, and scientists have ways of figuring out how long the layers of sediment have been sitting there. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 27 May 2025

Unlike modern-day sloths that typically stay in trees, this sloth spent most of its time on the ground, walking on its flat feet and at times standing on its hind legs, the Illinois State Museum reported. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2025

Adverb

Other than Dumezweni, who adds a welcome layer of emotion and warmth, the rest of the cast feels a bit like throwaway characters used for gags that fall flat more than anything. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025

And for wearing a backpack to carry said phone and other items, the extra-wide shoulder straps of this bra lie flat and don’t dig in underneath the pack straps. —Lisa Jhung, Outside Online, 7 May 2025

Noun

In 2024, Jane Fonda attended the festival wearing a pair of silver Margaux Mary Janes while Margaret Qualley opted for a pair of Chanel sequined ballet flats. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 24 May 2025

The Fenty Beauty founder completed the outfit with some super-luxe accessories, including a Dior Saddlebag and pink satin Margiela Tabi ballerina flats, which retail for a cool $1,190. —Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 23 May 2025

Phrases Containing flat

• fall flat