1
as in honesty
the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions
his unabashed plainness in telling people exactly what he thought of them was often offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in simplicity
the quality or state of having a form or structure of few parts or elements
the plainness and clean lines of that coffeemaker make it a piece of modern sculpture as well as a kitchen appliance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plainness
The through-line across all of it – the music, the acting, the international stages – is a pair of principles Lo articulates with plainness.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Maybe that’s because the interiors have a certain plainness — one that’s accurate to Georgian classicism but boring to Hollywood hotshots.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Maybe that’s because the interiors have a certain plainness — one that’s accurate to Georgian classicism but boring to Hollywood hotshots.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plainness
Noun
-
But others appreciated and praised her honesty.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
-
June 21 – July 22 Cancer, your values ask for brave honesty.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
There's a certain simplicity to it.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Rather than convert a traditional motor yacht to electric propulsion, the team developed a unique catamaran centered on efficiency, autonomy, and simplicity.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
There was such calm, quiet sincerity on his part.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Darry Sragow, a veteran Democratic strategist who advised Checchi, said Steyer’s focus on such causes had the potential to be meaningful to voters who are often skeptical about the sincerity and motives of rich candidates.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Early on, the client read his directness as arrogance.—
Luis Peralta,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
There is a remarkable lightness to Tuchel, a candour and directness.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mary Gaitskill is particularly good at this ideal combination of straightforwardness and pithiness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Her question, in Lipe-Smith’s inquisitive piccolo of a voice, is heartbreaking in its blend of straightforwardness and desperate desire, as is her mother’s wavering response.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Slot, as head coach, was more of a middle manager; someone who acted with the objectivity of a civil servant and the occasional bluntness of a corrections officer.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
-
Rise and fall But Healy, with her characteristic bluntness, didn’t sugar-coat what happened to that law.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Your forthrightness will set the tone for future dates.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
There’s something both startling and seductive about such forthrightness.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plainness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plainness. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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