1
as in simple
free from all additions or embellishment
I like my hamburgers plain, with no ketchup or relish just give us the plain facts and none of your snide comments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pure
free from added matter
I'd prefer my pasta plain, not flavored with tomato or spinach or anything else
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3
as in outspoken
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions
their piano teacher is honest and plain, if not always tactful
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4
as in straightforward
going straight to the point clearly and firmly
a plain report on the current situation
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5
as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
let me make my meaning plain
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as in openly
in an honest and direct manner
told her plain that he loved her
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1
as in prairie
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
the first settlers in that area lived on the vast plains in lonely log cabins
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2
as in expanse
a wide space or area
the vast plains of snow-covered earth that seemed to stretch endlessly
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plain
Sam Reed, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025
As a dietitian, I'm not convinced this beverage is better than plain water.
—Morgan Pearson, Ms, Rd, Verywell Health, 12 Apr. 2025
Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
And some are just plain unlikable, like Logan Paul.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Acoustic Sounds occupies a hodgepodge of squat industrial buildings in Salina, a city of about 50,000 near the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states, where grain elevators and a gigantic frozen pizza plant jut out from the flat plains landscape.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plain
Adjective
The glasses themselves were objectively rather dull, utilitarian in design and purposely plain.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025
As a dietitian, I'm not convinced this beverage is better than plain water.
—Morgan Pearson, Ms, Rd, Verywell Health, 12 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Really, any movie exceeding 100 minutes in this genre is just plain rude.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
And some are just plain unlikable, like Logan Paul.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
In the vast plains of North America, a formidable predator once reigned supreme.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Acoustic Sounds occupies a hodgepodge of squat industrial buildings in Salina, a city of about 50,000 near the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states, where grain elevators and a gigantic frozen pizza plant jut out from the flat plains landscape.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plain
Adjective
-
Will people be more open and accept that a simple, inexpensive date isn’t the sign of low effort but rather a reflection of the economy none of us asked for?—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Its second life on streaming has guided new viewers to the simple charms of one of the best mystery shows of all time.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Kiper calls him the best pure guard in the draft, a road-grader in the run game.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Booker seems like the top pure guard in this year's draft class, making his overall positional value lower.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Beyond her pioneering achievements behind the wheel, Levitt was also an inventor, a royal driving instructor, a suffragette and an outspoken writer.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The actor has long been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and particularly transgender women.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Her journey so far on Season 27 of the series has not been straightforward.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Opening a Swiss bank account is fairly straightforward but has to comply with strict U.S. disclosure laws.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, Strider was frustrated for obvious reasons and searching for answers.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Hague lamented the rush to reach a deal in the absence of any obvious pressure on Russia but with an intense focus on obtaining for the U.S. the mineral wealth of Ukraine.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And, to be honest, her description of the breakup at that time sounded a lot more amicable than it’s been sounding lately.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But only if leaders have the appetite for that kind of honest data.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche was the eighth straight opener that Dallas dropped.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
But a heads-up play from Bryce Harper at first caught Pauley in a rundown, and Walker followed it up with two straight groundouts to escape the inning.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the city DEP both cited the MTA earlier this month when an apparent overflow in the depot’s sewage ejection pit ran off into nearby storm drains, spilling what DEC inspectors estimated to be 50 gallons of waste into the bay.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
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Federal prosecutors also appeared to reveal today that Combs had rejected an apparent plea deal.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plain. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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