Synonyms of plainly

plainly

adverb

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

• openly
• sincerely
• plain
• honestly
• straightforwardly
• simply
• straightforward
• abruptly
• forthrightly
• directly
• straight
• frankly
• sharply
• baldly
• candidly
• bluntly
• earnestly
• unreservedly
• curtly
• brusquely
• rudely
• truthfully
• foursquare
• artlessly
• unguardedly
• gruffly
• inconsiderately
• impolitely
• openheartedly
• bluffly
• tactlessly
• veraciously
• point-blank

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• politely
• tactfully
• wordily
• courteously
• verbosely
• diplomatically
• civilly
• falsely
• erroneously
• mendaciously
• untruthfully
• deceitfully
• indirectly
• hypocritically
• long-windedly
• fallaciously
• ambiguously
• insincerely
• equivocally
• evasively
• circuitously

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

• certainly
• surely
• definitely
• clearly
• sure
• probably
• really
• undoubtedly
• likely
• easily
• truly
• assuredly
• so
• unquestionably
• undeniably
• indisputably
• damn well
• for certain
• doubtless
• indeed
• by all means
• possibly
• incontestably
• obviously
• perhaps
• incontrovertibly
• inarguably
• unarguably
• for sure
• all right
• alright
• by all odds
• forsooth
• conceivably
• unmistakably
• hands down

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of plainly

With the Bucs ending a season in which their defense produced just 38 sacks — the fewest since Todd Bowles arrived in Tampa Bay with Bruce Arians in 2020 — Diaby said plainly that there were players on the team who shouldn’t have been there. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026

Say the important part plainly, then give the other person a chance to do the same. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

Master sound teacher and yoga instructor Malinie Feeney puts it plainly. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

At the very least, some Democrats argue, El-Sayed could more plainly denounce his friend. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026

The Cost Of Overthinking The answers models generate are plainly visible to all. — Don Schuerman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Specifically, the meeting minutes reveal that when asked to assess the appropriate interest rate level by the end of this year, Fed officials were plainly split into two camps. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

And that brings me to an issue that deserves to be said plainly. — Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

At issue are a raft of local and state laws that, in one side’s reading, plainly state that the city allows a maximum of three terms, which bars Altamirano from serving on the council again. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026