flat
adjective · adverb · noun · verb
Simple meaning
Having no variations in height.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
flatIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈflæt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Having no variations in height.
In a horizontal line or plane; not sloping.
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc.
Smooth; having no protrusions, indentations or other surface irregularities, or relatively so.
of colours
Without variation in tone or hue (uniform), and dull (not glossy).
At a consistently depressed level; consistently lacklustre.
adverb
Completely, firmly, or unequivocally.
of accurately measured timings
Exactly, precisely.
of a sentence
Without parole.
So as to be flat.
noun
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water).
(horse racing, with 'the' or attributively, sometimes with capital) Level horse-racing ground, as contrasted with courses incorporating jumps, or the racing done on such ground.
in the plural
A type of flat-soled running shoe without spikes.
in the plural
A type of ladies' shoe with a very low heel.
A wide, shallow container or pallet.
A flat-bottomed boat, without keel, and of small draught.
verb
intransitive
To become flat or flattened; to sink or fall to an even surface.
transitive
To dash or throw
intransitive
To dash, rush
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Having no variations in height.
Used this way, flat is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use flat
- “The salt flats of Utah.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Footwear (shoes or slippers) with no heel (or a very low heel).
Praise somewhat dishonestly.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
The property of having two dimensions.
In an unqualified manner.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
An arch with mutually supporting voussoirs that has a straight horizontal extrados and intrados.
Lacking a prominent belly.
A bench on which a weightlifter lies to do exercises.
Part of the sirloin next to the wedge bone.
A flat woolen cap with a stiff peak.
The first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Tableware that is relatively flat and fashioned as a single piece.
Make flat or flatter.
Become flat or flatter.
A printing press where the type is carried on a flat bed under a cylinder that holds paper and rolls over the type.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: having no variations in height
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.