flat

[ flat ]

/ flæt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: flat / flats / flatter / flatly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, flat·ter, flat·test.

horizontally level: a flat roof.

level, even, or without unevenness of surface, as land or tabletops.

having a surface that is without marked projections or depressions: a broad, flat face.

lying horizontally and at full length, as a person; prostrate: He was flat on the canvas after the knockdown.

lying wholly on or against something: The banner was flat against the wall.

thrown down, laid low, or level with the ground, as fallen trees or buildings.

having a generally level shape or appearance; not deep or thick: a flat plate.

(of the heel of a shoe) low and broad.

spread out, as an unrolled map or the open hand.

deflated; collapsed: a flat tire.

absolute, downright, or positive; without qualification: a flat denial.

without modification or variation: a flat rate.

Informal. lacking money; broke.

without vitality or animation; lifeless; dull: flat writing.

having lost its flavor, sharpness, or life, as wine or food; stale.

(of a beverage) having lost its effervescence.

without flavor; not spiced: flat cooking.

prosaic, banal, or insipid: a flat style.

pointless, as a remark or joke.

commercially inactive: a flat day in the stock market.

(of a painting) not having the illusion of volume or depth.

(of a photograph or painting) lacking contrast or gradations of tone or color.

(of paint) without gloss; not shiny; mat.

not clear, sharp, or ringing, as sound or a voice.

lacking resonance and variation in pitch; monotonous:a flat delivery of the speech.

Music.

(of a tone) lowered a half step in pitch: B flat.
below an intended pitch, as a note; too low (opposed to sharp).

Grammar. derived without change in form, as English to brush from the noun brush and adverbs that do not add -ly to the adjective form as fast, cheap, and slow.

Phonetics. lenis; voiced.

Nautical. (of a sail)

cut with little or no fullness.
trimmed as nearly fore-and-aft as possible, for sailing to windward.

flat a, the a-sound (a) of glad, bat, or act.

noun

something flat.

a shoe, especially a woman's shoe, with a flat heel or no heel.

a flat surface, side, or part of anything: He struck me with the flat of his hand.

flat or level ground; a flat area: salt flats.

a marsh, shoal, or shallow.

Music.

(in musical notation) the character ♭, which when attached to a note or to a staff degree lowers its significance one chromatic half step.
a tone one chromatic half step below another: The flat of B is B flat.
(on keyboard instruments, with reference to any given note) the key next below or to the left.

Theater. a piece of scenery consisting of a wooden frame, usually rectangular, covered with lightweight board or fabric.

a broad, thin book, chiefly for children: a juvenile flat.

Informal. a deflated automobile tire.

(in postal use) a large flat package, as in a manila envelope, for mailing.

Architecture. a flat roof or deck.

Nautical.

Also called platform . a partial deck between two full decks.
a low, flat barge or lighter.

Shipbuilding.

a broad, flat piece of iron or steel for overlapping and joining two plates at their edges.
a straight timber in a frame or other assembly of generally curved timbers.

an iron or steel bar of rectangular cross section.

Textiles. one of a series of laths covered with card clothing, used in conjunction with the cylinder in carding.

Photography. one or more negatives or positives in position to be reproduced.

Printing. a device for holding a negative or positive flat for reproduction by photoengraving.

Horticulture. a shallow, lidless box or tray used for rooting seeds and cuttings and for growing young plants.

a similar box used for shipping and selling fruits and vegetables.

Football. the area of the field immediately inside of or outside of an offensive end, close behind or at the line of scrimmage.

flats, Informal. flat races between horses.Compare flat race.

verb (used with object), flat·ted, flat·ting.

to make flat.

Music. to lower (a pitch), especially one half step.

verb (used without object), flat·ted, flat·ting.

to become flat.

adverb

in a flat position; horizontally; levelly.

in a flat manner; positively; absolutely.

completely; utterly: flat broke.

exactly; precisely: She ran around the track in two minutes flat.

Music. below the true pitch: to sing flat.

Finance. without interest.

Verb Phrases

flat in, Nautical. to pull the clew of (a fore-and-aft sail) as nearly amidships as possible.Also flatten in.

OTHER WORDS FOR flat

1 plane.

4 low, prone.

11 outright, peremptory, categorical.

14 boring, spiritless, prosaic.

17 vapid, unsavory.

See synonyms for flat on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR flat

4 upright, vertical.

14 spirited.

17 flavorful, savory.

See antonyms for flat on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about flat

fall flat, to fail to produce the desired effect; fail completely: His attempts at humor fell flat.

flat aft, Nautical. trimmed so that fore-and-aft sails present as flat a surface as possible, as in sailing close to the wind.

flat on one's back. back¹ (def. 48).

flat out, Informal.

without hesitation; directly or openly: He told us flat out he'd been a double agent.
at full speed or with maximum effort.

Origin of flat

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Old Norse flatr; akin to Old English flet “the ground, a floor of a house,” Greek platýs “wide, broad”; see also flat²; plate

synonym study for flat

1. See level.

OTHER WORDS FROM flat

flatly, adverbflatness, nounun·flat·ted, adjective

Words nearby flat

flash unit, flash welding, flashy, flask, flasket, flat, flat arch, flat as a pancake, flat back, flatbed, flat-bed lorry

Other definitions for flat (2 of 2)

flat²

[ flat ]

/ flæt /

noun Chiefly British.

an apartment or suite of rooms on one floor forming a residence.

Origin of flat

First recorded in 1795–1805; variant of obsolete flet, from Old English; see origin at flat¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use flat in a sentence

Print advertisements for Quaker Rice Cakes from that period show thin, grinning models lying on their flat leotard-covered stomachs to emphasize the lightness of rice cakes.
The Rise and Fall of the Rice Cake, America’s One-Time Favorite Health Snack|Brenna Houck|September 17, 2020|Eater
Unlike the flat disk that gave rise to the planets in our own Solar System, the system’s disk consists of three misaligned rings.
A strange dusty disk could hide a planet betwixt three stars|Paola Rosa-Aquino|September 11, 2020|Popular-Science
It uses technology well, including flat-screen monitors that connect to the Internet and Bluetooth headphones.
Peloton races to the future, but it’s still no tech company|Adam Lashinsky|September 11, 2020|Fortune
The catch included two tiny species with coiled shells about 1 millimeter across, four midsize species with long, conical or urn-shaped shells of about 7 to 11 millimeters, and one species with a flat shell up to 14 millimeters across.
Sea butterflies’ shells determine how the snails swim|Maria Temming|September 8, 2020|Science News

It combines the functionality of a suitcase and the durability of a duffel, with structured sides and interior pockets for ample gear hauling, a flat-bottom design that enables it to stand, and sturdy, oversize wheels.
Our Favorite Gear for Any Type of Traveler|Janna Irons|September 8, 2020|Outside Online
Luckily enough I have this dedicated flat that is just along from my house that I go to every day.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There were stomachs, taut and flat, but also undulating bellies, soft and bloated from the breakfast buffet.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The program—weirdly—is now under the umbrella of ABC News, and is suffering from flat ratings and an aging demographic.
The Bloodiest Media Coups of 2014|Lloyd Grove|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another sent back a flat-screen television with a bona fide tombstone within.
The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers’ Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hitchcock settled in southern California, leaving behind a flat in London and a country house in Shamley Green.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why not have sought out the pure white lime-rocks of the flat country, or the grey granite of the hills?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
Then the roof itself, with its gables and dormer windows, softly folded itself flat down upon the top of the house, out of sight.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Instead of writing slander and flat blasphemy, they propose to draw it, and not draw it mild.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
There is no other way but fresh blood for it is sheer human nature to feel flat after an effort.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The hills disappear some miles above this city, and henceforward to the sea all is flat and tame as a marsh.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for flat (1 of 2)

flat¹

/ (flæt) /

adjective flatter or flattest

horizontal; levelflat ground; a flat roof

even or smooth, without projections or depressionsa flat surface

lying stretched out at full length; prostratehe lay flat on the ground

having little depth or thickness; shallowa flat dish

(postpositive often foll by against) having a surface or side in complete contact with another surfaceflat against the wall

spread out, unrolled, or levelled

(of a tyre) deflated, either partially or completely

(of shoes) having an unraised or only slightly raised heel

mainly British

(of races, racetracks, or racecourses) not having obstacles to be jumped
of, relating to, or connected with flat racing as opposed to steeplechasing and hurdlingflat jockeys earn more

without qualification; totala flat denial

without possibility of change; fixeda flat rate

(prenominal or immediately postpositive) neither more nor less; exacthe did the journey in thirty minutes flat; a flat thirty minutes

unexciting or lacking point or interesta flat joke

without variation or resonance; monotonousa flat voice

(of food) stale or tasteless

(of beer, sparkling wines, etc) having lost effervescence, as by exposure to air

(of trade, business, a market, etc) commercially inactive; sluggish

(of a battery) fully discharged; dead

(of a print, photograph, or painting) lacking contrast or shading between tones

(of paint) without gloss or lustre; matt

(of a painting) lacking perspective

(of lighting) diffuse

music

(immediately postpositive) denoting a note of a given letter name (or the sound it represents) that has been lowered in pitch by one chromatic semitoneB flat
(of an instrument, voice, etc) out of tune by being too low in pitchCompare sharp (def. 12)

phonetics another word for lenis

flat a phonetics the vowel sound of a as in the usual US or S Brit pronunciation of hand, cat, usually represented by the symbol (æ)

adverb

in or into a prostrate, level, or flat state or positionhe held his hand out flat

completely or utterly; absolutelyhe went flat against the rules

exactly; preciselyin three minutes flat

music

lower than a standard pitch
too low in pitchshe sings flat Compare sharp (def. 18)

fall flat to fail to achieve a desired effect, etc

flat out informal

with the maximum speed or effort
totally exhausted

noun

a flat object, surface, or part

(often plural) a low-lying tract of land, esp a marsh or swamp

(often plural) a mud bank exposed at low tide

music

an accidental that lowers the pitch of the following note by one chromatic semitoneUsual symbol: ♭
a note affected by this accidentalCompare sharp (def. 19)

theatre a rectangular wooden frame covered with painted canvas, etc, used to form part of a stage setting

a punctured car tyre

the flat mainly British ((often cap.))

flat racing, esp as opposed to steeplechasing and hurdling
the season of flat racing

nautical a flatboat or lighter

US and Canadian a shallow box or container, used for holding plants, growing seedlings, etc

verb flats, flatting or flatted

to make or become flat

music the usual US word for flatten (def. 3)

Derived forms of flat

flatly, adverbflatness, noun

Word Origin for flat

C14: from Old Norse flatr; related to Old High German flaz flat, Greek platus flat, broad

British Dictionary definitions for flat (2 of 2)

flat²

/ (flæt) /

noun

a set of rooms comprising a residence entirely on one floor of a buildingUsual US and Canadian name: apartment

British and NZ a portion of a house used as separate living quarters

NZ a house shared with people who are not members of one's own family

verb flats, flatting or flatted (intr)

Australian and NZ to live in a flat (with someone)

Word Origin for flat

Old English flett floor, hall, house; related to flat 1

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with flat

flat

In addition to the idioms beginning with flat

flat as a pancake
flat broke
flat on one's back
flat out

also see:

caught flat-footed
fall flat
in no time (nothing flat)
leave flat

flat

OTHER WORDS FOR flat

OPPOSITES FOR flat

Idioms about flat

Origin of flat

synonym study for flat

OTHER WORDS FROM flat

Words nearby flat

Other definitions for flat (2 of 2)

Origin of flat

Words related to flat

How to use flat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flat (1 of 2)

Derived forms of flat

Word Origin for flat

British Dictionary definitions for flat (2 of 2)

Word Origin for flat

Other Idioms and Phrases with flat