plain

[pleyn]

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

Related formsplain·ly, adverbplain·ness, noun

Can be confusedplain plan plane

Synonym study

10. See homely.

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.

Antonyms for plain

1. indistinct. 2. obscure. 13. hilly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for plainer

transparent, honest, simple, traditional, ordinary, conventional, dull, unvarnished, austere, stark, pure, meadow, expanse, field, prairie, steppe, grassland, plateau, patent, broad

Examples from the Web for plainer

Contemporary Examples of plainer

"One dollar," he said and threw a plainer stone with a rubber band looped around it for our payment.
Big-Sky West Texas: A Road Trip Through Hidden America
Condé Nast Traveler
March 18, 2014
Translated into plainer English: he wants to break his opponents.
Obama Gets Tough
David Frum
January 16, 2013
It is plainer than ever that America is divided into two camps.
Bernard-Henri Lévy: My Wish for America
Bernard-Henri Lévy
December 30, 2012

Historical Examples of plainer

It almost seemed as if she might ask John to let her take the plainer way.
Tiverton Tales
Alice Brown
"He's petered out;" which addition did not make it any plainer.
One Day's Courtship
Robert Barr
Louder sounded the footsteps, plainer the voices of the redcoats.
The Dare Boys of 1776
Stephen Angus Cox
Plainer tartlets may be made with short, flaky, or other pastry.
The Skilful Cook
Mary Harrison
A plainer way is to dry the fish, after it has been washed and cleaned, and lay it on a board before the fire, dusted with flour.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for plainer

plain

adjective

flat or smooth; level

not complicated; clearthe plain truth

not difficult; simple or easya plain task

honest or straightforward

lowly, esp in social rank or education

without adornment or showa plain coat

(of fabric) without pattern or of simple untwilled weave

not attractive

not mixed; simpleplain 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 portertwo pints of plain, please

adverb

(intensifier)just plain tired

Word Origin for plain

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

plain

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

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 plainer

plain

adj.

c.1300, "flat, smooth," from Old French plain "flat, smooth, even" (12c.), from Latin planus "flat, even, level" (see plane (n.1)). Sense of "evident" is from, c.1300; that of "free from obstruction" is early 14c.; meaning "simple, sincere, ordinary" is recorded from late 14c., especially of dress, "unembellished, without decoration."

In reference to the dress and speech of Quakers, it is recorded from 1824; of Amish and Mennonites, from 1894 (in the Dutch regions of Pennsylvania Plain with the capital is shorthand adjective for "Amish and Old Order Mennonite"). Of appearance, as a euphemism for "ill-favored, ugly" it dates from 1749. Of envelopes from 1913. As an adverb from early 14c. Plain English is from c.1500. Plain dealer "one who deals plainly or speaks candidly" is from 1570s, marked "Now rare" in OED 2nd edition. To be as plain as the nose on (one's) face is from 1690s.

plain

"level country," c.1300 (in reference to Salisbury Plain), from Old French plain "open countryside," from Latin planum "level ground, plain," noun use of neuter of planus (adj.) "flat, even, level" (see plane (n.1)). Latin planum was used for "level ground" but much more common was campus.

plainer in Science

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 plainer

plain

In addition to the idioms beginning with plain

plain as day
plain sailing

also see:

in plain English