plainly

adverb

Definition of plainlynext
1
as in openly
in an honest and direct manner you'll have to tell your relatives very plainly that you don't like perfume, or they'll keep giving it to you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in certainly
without any question your wife is plainly upset that you didn't invite her to the game with us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainly
  1. certainly
  2. sincerely
  3. surely
  4. plain
  5. definitely
  6. clearly
  7. honestly
  8. sure
Adverb
  • The potential differences, even after trades, almost certainly will not be large enough to sway Sasaki.
    Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
  • But as recipes like Lobster Mac and Cheese Casserole and Macaroni and Cheese with Cashew Cream and Broccoli prove, kids at heart (aka adults like us) can—and should—certainly enjoy mac meals, too.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Jan. 2025
Definition of certainly
Adverb
  • All this said, why not take a minute on Christmas to sincerely thank your own genuine Santa?
    Mike Masterson, arkansasonline.com, 24 Dec. 2024
  • When faced with perspectives and opinions that run counter to their own, nonprofit leaders should consider them with the most charitable interpretation—not as a personal attack or a moral transgression, but something the opposing side sincerely believes.
    Shaun Carver, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of sincerely
Adverb
  • While Otter surely filled his dance card for years, choosing whom to dance with proved very challenging.
    John Tamny, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Produced by Telz, who worked on much of Burna’s 2020 Grammy-winning album Twice as Tall, the pulsing bass line and intoxicating rhythms will surely be blasting at every Detty December party, while its swelling orchestral flourishes make the African Giant sound truly larger than life.
    Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2024
Definition of surely
Adverb
  • Celebrities, producers and just plain old fans are remembering actress Linda Lavin, who died December 29 at 87.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 30 Dec. 2024
  • But sometimes chargers are few and far between, out of service, crowded, or just plain janky.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2024
Definition of plain
Adverb
  • And definitely take advantage of Hotel Ranga’s Northern Lights wake-up call.
    Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
  • These cherry ones will definitely perk up your utensil drawer.
    Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 1 Jan. 2025
Definition of definitely
Adverb
  • After all, every stain is the remainder of a moment now gone—in the case of an ink stain, a moment in which the careful handling of a ballpoint pen or permanent marker was clearly not priority number one.
    Christina Pérez, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025
  • During 2009’s Station fire, we were given evacuation notice only when clouds of smoke filled the streets and flames were clearly visible on nearby mountainsides.
    Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of clearly
Adverb
  • Try to answer honestly, but keep things age-appropriate.
    Tamekia Reece, Parents, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Though honestly, having seen how other companies with sub-par licensing deals handle music, this is probably for the best.
    Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • Stephen Schwartz’s songs sure do soar in this film, and golly, a 100-piece orchestra is beyond joyous.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2025
  • And sure, Saban would have freaked out about his team staying at a Ramada at Penn State.
    Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of sure
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near plainly

plain Janes

plainly

plainness

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Plainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainly. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on plainly

Nglish: Translation of plainly for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of plainly for Arabic Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
yorkshire terrier dressed up as a doctor
A Visit with the Word Doctor: Medical Terms Quiz Give your vocabulary a checkup