plain

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR plain ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, plain·er, plain·est.

clear or distinct to the eye or ear: a plain trail to the river; to stand in plain view.

clear to the mind; evident, manifest, or obvious: to make one's meaning plain.

conveying the meaning clearly and simply; easily understood: plain talk.

downright; sheer; utter; self-evident: plain folly; plain stupidity.

free from ambiguity or evasion; candid; outspoken: the plain truth of the matter.

without special pretensions, superiority, elegance, etc.; ordinary: plain people.

not beautiful; physically unattractive or undistinguished: a plain face.

without intricacies or difficulties.

ordinary, simple, or unostentatious: Although she was a duchess, her manners were attractively plain.

with little or no embellishment, decoration, or enhancing elaboration: a plain blue suit.

without a pattern, figure, or device: a plain fabric.

not rich, highly seasoned, or elaborately prepared, as food: a plain diet.

flat or level: plain country.

unobstructed, clear, or open, as ground, a space, etc.

Cards. being other than a face card or a trump.

adverb

clearly and simply: He's just plain stupid.

noun

an area of land not significantly higher than adjacent areas and with relatively minor differences in elevation, commonly less than 500 feet (150 meters), within the area.

The Plains. Great Plains.

Origin of plain

1250–1300; Middle English (adj., adv., and noun) < Old French (adj. and noun) < Latin plānus flat, level, plānum flat country

SYNONYMS FOR plain

1, 2 lucid, understandable, intelligible, unmistakable, apparent, perspicuous.

2, 3 unambiguous, unequivocal, patent, transparent; direct.

5 unreserved, straightforward, blunt, frank, ingenuous, open, sincere.

6 unpretentious.

10 unadorned.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR plain ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR plain

1 indistinct.

2 obscure.

13 hilly.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR plain ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for plain

10. See homely.

OTHER WORDS FROM plain

plain·ly, adverb plain·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plain

plain plan plane

Words nearby plain

plaguy, plaice, plaid, plaid cymru, plaided, plain, plain as day, plain bearing, plain chocolate, plain clothes, plain dealing

Definition for plains (2 of 2)

plain ²

[ pleyn ]

/ pleɪn /

verb (used without object) British Dialect.

to complain.

Origin of plain

1250–1300; Middle English plei(g)nen < Old French plaign-, stem of plaindre < Latin plangere to beat (the breast, etc.), lament; akin to Greek plḗssein to strike

Example sentences from the Web for plains

Based on the hat he had created for himself, Stetson made a version called “The Boss of the Plains.”

My Love Letter to the Stetson |Mark McKinnon |December 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Plains, and Far West, secession sympathizers top out at 22 percent of the population.

America’s Slumbering Secession Obsession |James Poulos |September 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
This is a big problem in states like Alaska, Montana, the Dakotas, and the plains states.

Will US Health Care Follow in China’s Bloody Footsteps? |Daniela Drake |September 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Take the case of the American bison: The ice-age bison evolved into the Plains buffalo, Bison bison, perhaps 10,000 years ago.

American Wilderness Faces the Firing Squad |Doug Peacock |July 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Michael Waters explains, without serious evidence, that elk was “a rare animal in the plains at that time.”

Incontrovertible Evidence Proves the First Americans Came From Asia |Doug Peacock |March 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Sit, with our hands crossed, singing hymns and thinking of our cari sposi in the Plains?

Chronicles of Dustypore |Henry Stewart Cunningham
At a distance of about two miles from our camp was the crest of a low swell in the Plains.

Life and Adventures of 'Billy' Dixon |Billy Dixon
In our village, we were as happy as a buffalo on the plains; but now we are more like the hungry and howling wolf in the prairie.

History, Manners, and Customs of the North American Indians |George Mogridge
I found myself sighing once more for the freedom of the Plains.

An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (Colonel W. F. Cody) |Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody)
The formation of the coast and plains is Tertiary and recent alluvium.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 3 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for plains (1 of 3)

plains

/ (pleɪnz) /

pl n

mainly US extensive tracts of level or almost level treeless countryside; prairies

British Dictionary definitions for plains (2 of 3)

plain ¹

/ (pleɪn) /

adjective

flat or smooth; level

not complicated; clear the plain truth

not difficult; simple or easy a plain task

honest or straightforward

lowly, esp in social rank or education

without adornment or show a plain coat

(of fabric) without pattern or of simple untwilled weave

not attractive

not mixed; simple plain vodka

knitting of or done in plain

noun

a level or almost level tract of country, esp an extensive treeless region

a simple stitch in knitting made by putting the right needle into a loop on the left needle, passing the wool round the right needle, and pulling it through the loop, thus forming a new loop

(in billiards)

the unmarked white ball, as distinguished from the spot balls
the player using this ball

(in Ireland) short for plain porter, a light porter two pints of plain, please

adverb

(intensifier) just plain tired

Derived forms of plain

plainly, adverb plainness, noun

Word Origin for plain

C13: from Old French: simple, from Latin plānus level, distinct, clear

British Dictionary definitions for plains (3 of 3)

plain ²

/ (pleɪn) /

verb

a dialect or poetic word for complain

Word Origin for plain

C14 pleignen, from Old French plaindre to lament, from Latin plangere to beat

Scientific definitions for plains

plain

[ plān ]

An extensive, relatively level area of land. Plains are present on all continents except Antarctica and are most often located in the interior regions. Because they can occur at almost any altitude or latitude, plains can be humid and forested, semiarid and grass-covered, or arid.

A broad, level expanse, such as an area of the sea floor or a lunar mare.

Idioms and Phrases with plains

plain

In addition to the idioms beginning with plain

plain as day
plain sailing

also see:

in plain English

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

plain

adjective, plain·er, plain·est.

adverb

noun

Origin of plain

SYNONYMS FOR plain

ANTONYMS FOR plain

synonym study for plain

OTHER WORDS FROM plain

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plain

Words nearby plain

Definition for plains (2 of 2)

verb (used without object) British Dialect.

Origin of plain

Example sentences from the Web for plains

British Dictionary definitions for plains (1 of 3)

pl n

British Dictionary definitions for plains (2 of 3)

adjective

noun

adverb

Derived forms of plain

Word Origin for plain

British Dictionary definitions for plains (3 of 3)

verb

Word Origin for plain

Scientific definitions for plains

Idioms and Phrases with plains

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

plain

adjective, plain·er, plain·est.

adverb

noun

Origin of plain

SYNONYMS FOR plain

ANTONYMS FOR plain

synonym study for plain

OTHER WORDS FROM plain

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH plain

Words nearby plain

Definition for plains (2 of 2)

verb (used without object) British Dialect.

Origin of plain

Words related to plains

Example sentences from the Web for plains

British Dictionary definitions for plains (1 of 3)

pl n

British Dictionary definitions for plains (2 of 3)

adjective

noun

adverb

Derived forms of plain

Word Origin for plain

British Dictionary definitions for plains (3 of 3)

verb

Word Origin for plain

Scientific definitions for plains

Idioms and Phrases with plains