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
Relevance
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
-
The organization has guided enough candidates through multiple cycles to approach these situations with both honesty and genuine optimism, identifying specifically what needs to change and executing adjustments with the same rigor applied to initial preparation.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Thomas Tuchel’s explanation for not taking Cole Palmer to the World Cup was brutal in its honesty.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The project posed several issues for an artist who had always emphasized clarity and simplicity in his solitary picture-taking.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Baoase is also transporting, as any memorable hotel should be, with a strong Asian-esque design that includes ubiquitous Balinese Hindu statues, idols, and sculptures, and a reliance on simplicity over dazzle.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The piece has to throb and, well, that is not the first verb that comes to mind in director Jonathan Butterell’s production, with all due respect for the sincerity of the effort and the intermittent effectiveness of the storytelling.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
-
But in those cases and others, the defendants took concrete steps that demonstrated their sincerity and conscious awareness of the threatening nature of their speech.—
Wayne Unger,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In contrast to this ribald directness, Kokopeli’s playsets feature characters who appear detached and disconnected.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
In most workplaces, uncertainty drains more energy than directness.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
27 May 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 10 Jun. 2026.
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