down-to-earth

[doun-too-urth, -tuh-]

adjective

1. practical and realistic.

   a down-to-earth person.

   Synonyms: pragmatic, sober, sensible, hardheaded

down-to-earth

adjective

1. sensible; practical; realistic

Word History and Origins

Origin of down-to-earth¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Idioms and Phrases

Back to reality. For example, It's time the employees were brought down to earth concerning the budget . P.G. Wodehouse had this idiom in Very Good, Jeeves! (1930): “I had for some little time been living . . . in another world. I now came down to earth with a bang.” [Late 1920s]

Also, down-to-earth . Realistic or interested in everyday occurrences, as in She is a very down-to-earth person, not at all involved with the glamour of Hollywood . [1930s]

Example Sentences

She could embroider pocket handkerchiefs for the crew, although these down-to-earth fellows might be just as glad to wipe their noses on their sleeves.

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Patel’s supporters say he is trying to present himself as down-to-earth and accessible to the workforce.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And while it may seem homespun, Paul and Linda McCartney and their growing family are the group’s down-to-earth epicenter.

Read more on Salon

He seems a very down-to-earth guy who you want to do well and I hope his ability will shine through in the Premier League as well as the Champions League.

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"His continuity, his down-to-earth nature and his staying power in remaining as an unlisted, independent company have always been a huge inspiration for me personally," Smith wrote on social media.

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