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adverb

plain

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word plain distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of plain are candid, frank, and open. While all these words mean "showing willingness to tell what one feels or thinks," plain suggests outspokenness and freedom from affectation or subtlety in expression.

plain talk

When could candid be used to replace plain?

Although the words candid and plain have much in common, candid suggests expression marked by sincerity and honesty especially in offering unwelcome criticism or opinion.

a candid appraisal

When might frank be a better fit than plain?

In some situations, the words frank and plain are roughly equivalent. However, frank stresses lack of shyness or secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience.

frank discussions

How does the word open relate to other synonyms for plain?

Open implies frankness but suggests more indiscretion than frank and less earnestness than candid.

open in saying what they think

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 plain
Adjective
Watching these kids creatively fight back against their mentors only to discover the wormy monsters within is dumb fun, plain and simple. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025 For example, 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt contains 415 milligrams of calcium, or 32% of your daily needs. Merve Ceylan, Health, 12 Aug. 2025
Adverb
The cardigan, which was layered over a plain white tank top, was worn off the shoulder and sat slouchy on her shoulders. Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 19 July 2025 For him, six par threes, six par fours and six par fives would offer the perfect competition, improvement goals and just plain fun. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025
Noun
On the one hand, as Tevye is fond of saying, the story unfolds in a hardscrabble shtetl in the Ukrainian plains in the months leading up to the Russian Empire’s abortive 1905 revolution. David Lyman, The Enquirer, 25 July 2025 Now they are mainly spotted in the state's northern plains, according to Arizona Game and Fish. Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for plain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plain
Adjective
  • In North Carolina, Republicans are a few votes shy of a supermajority in one chamber but still control the redistricting process because the state’s congressional maps are not subject to veto and therefore can be passed by a simple majority in the legislature.
    Elena Shao, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
  • But it was intended to be a simple, three-course meal, the documents showed.
    Chiara Eisner, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Adeleye was outclassed from a pure boxing standpoint, but his heart was on display.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • The shot was clean with a bold recovery, just like a pure Mickelson moment.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The Democratic Party is also home to outspoken critics of Israel and much of the Jewish community, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Bernie Sanders, and others.
    Nathan Diament, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Counter to her brother, Maxine is the outspoken, happy-go-lucky, popular girl who masks her loneliness and sorrow.
    Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • For certified cave divers, joining a dive here is remarkably straightforward.
    Jennifer Walker, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
  • So this was all set up in a very straightforward way.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The common denominator with all these issues is obvious.
    Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Not all primary headaches have obvious explanations.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In the tall-grass prairies that once spread out across pre-settlement Indiana, tiny ground squirrels scurried through the wildflowers, grasses and shrubs.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Authorities had been searching for her since, with previous efforts including a large-scale search at the Springbrook prairie conducted Aug. 4.
    Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • But the Connector will run through a critical portion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, an 18-million-acre expanse of state land that provides habitat for many fragile plants and animals, said Jason Lauritsen, the chief conservation officer with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation.
    Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
  • My route from the airport passed thick cornfields, lush trees, and expanses of green grass.
    Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The point is to be honest with parents and the people tasked with running our schools about how the system is doing. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Find two people, no more, who can be brutally honest with you, yet love you enough to speak gently.
    Pankaj Vasani, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Plain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plain. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

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