down-to-earth
[doun-too-urth, -tuh-]
- practical and realistic: a down-to-earth person.
Origin of down-to-earth
First recorded in 1925–30
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.comhard-headed, sensible, sober, pragmatic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for down-to-earth
Contemporary Examples
(laughter) LAGARDE: And we will have provided real sort of down-to-earth practical value.
In a down-to-earth tone, Xi talked about the “great renewal of the Chinese nation,” but mentioned socialism only once.
Even though he earns up to six figures for certain shows, Skrillex remains one of the more humble, down-to-earth artists in music.
In person, the down-to-earth Marchildon says she saw enough of modeling to be philosophical.
I felt betrayed by James—that the affable and down-to-earth person I had done the book with was a fraud.
Historical Examples
Hilliard, the dynamic, down-to-earth leader had taken his place.
The Year When Stardust FellRaymond F. Jones
It was a down-to-earth hot dog with no mystery, no eerieness about it, for which he was grateful.
The Blue Ghost MysteryHarold Leland Goodwin
Did his down-to-earth touch account for Updraft's surprising audience appeal?
The Mind DiggerWinston Marks
down-to-earth
- sensible; practical; realistic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for down-to-earth
adj.
also down to earth, as an adjectival phrase, attested from 1932.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper