Your opinion is off the mark. That's plain to anyone.
Source: tatoeba (17324)
Plain
/plɛjn/
Synonyms for "plain" (927 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (186)
abruptabsoluteabsolutelyaffableagricultural regionair spaceall embracingall outall pervadingall-embracingall-encompassingall-outall-pervadingapparentappreciablearable landarrantarticulateartlessascetic
Show 90 more words
atticaudibleaustereaxiomaxiomaticback countrybaldbarebarefacedbasebornbasicbasinbeautilessbelow the saltbilliard tableblack beltblankblemishedblottedbluffbluntbohemianbornborn yesterdaybottomlandbowling greenbroadbroad-basedbrusquecacophoniccacophonouscampestralcampestriancampocandidcasecasualchampaignchastecheerfulcheerychildlikeciceroniancircumstancecitrus beltclassicclassicalcleanclean cutclean-cutclearclear as crystalclear as dayclear spaceclear-cutclearanceclearingcockneycoherentcolorlesscomfortablecommoncommonplacecomprehensiveconfidingcongenitalconnectedconsistentconspicuousconsummatecontrastivecordialcorn beltcotton beltcountrysidecozycrispcrystal clearcrystal-clearcrystallinecushydatumdead flatdead leveldeep dyeddeep-dyeddefaceddefineddefinitedegage
Adjective(47 words)
accessibleanti aestheticsapparentapparent featureapproachablearchitectural plainnessaustere appearanceauthentic earthinessbarebare cakebare groundbare modifierbare surfacebarerbasic biology conceptbasic designbasic lab equipmentbasic materialsbasic needsbasic plywood
Show 27 more words
basic principlebasic scientific conceptbasic skillbasic stylebasic teaching conceptblandblank fileclear assertionclear classroom rulesclear criteriaclear designclear errorclear goalsclear graphclear highlightsclear instructionsclear physical evidenceclear proofclear speechclear statementclear waycloudlesscolloquial idiomcommon languagecommon prepositionsconcrete processconversational language style
Determiner(1 words)
any old thing
Noun(19 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Verb(2 words)
clear the tablescomplain
Strong matches (278)
deltademonstrativedesertdirectdiscerniblediscreetdisfigureddistant prospectdistinctdistinctivedowndownrightdrabdrydulldust bowldyed-in-the-wooldysphemisticdysphemizedearth
Show 161 more words
earthborneasyeasy as pieeasygoingeffortlessegregiouselegantelementaryempty viewesplanadeessentialeveneverydayevidentexhaustiveexplicitexpressfacilefactfamiliarfarm beltfarm countryfarmlandfeaturelessfellfinishedfizzflatflatlandflatsflattenedfloorflushfolksyforthrightfrankfrankheartedfreefree and easyfree spokenfree-speakingfree-spokenfree-tonguedfriendlyfruit beltfundamentalgardengarden varietygarden-varietygenuinegladeglaringglibgracefulgracilegraciousgraphicgrass rootsgrasslandgrazing regiongrossgroundguilelesshardhaymishhearableheart-to-heartheathhi fihi-fihigh-fidelityhighlandshomaloidhomaloidalhomelikehomelyhomespunhomeyhomishhomogeneoushonesthorizontalhorizontal axishorizontal faulthorizontal linehorizontal parallaxhorizontal planehorizontal projectionhouseholdhumblehumble-lookinghumble-visagedhumblesthumdrumignobleill-favoredin focusindisputableindivisibleindubitableinelegantinformalingenuingenuousingloriousinnocentinnocuousinsipidintelligibleintensiveintimateirreducibleirregularirretrievablyirrevocablyleanleastlebensraumledgelegiblelevellevel linelevel planelightlimpidliving spacellanolooseloud and clearlowlowbornlowbredlowestlowlandslowliestlowlylucidluminousmainmanifestmaremarredmatter of factmatter-of-factmeadmeadows and pasturesmeagremeanmean sea levelmeremesamickey mousemodestmonolithicmoormoorlandmoorsmousymundanemutednaive
Noun(36 words)
demoticdirect trafficeasy to understandeveryday calculationseveryday wearevidentexplicit copulaexplicit nounfieldflat ground areaflatlandfrench regulergeneral language studygymnelisknitknit stitchleast patternedless patternedllanoslocal vernacular language
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lowlandmatter-of-fact stylemennoniteminimalistminimalist formmodestmodestomore actualmore evidentmore ordinarymore unembellishedmore unornamentedmore unremarkablemost nonpatternedmost unadornedmost unembellished
Adjective(52 words)
digestibledim décordirect resultdirect ruledirect tonedirectestdoric ornamentdowdiestdowdydumpyearthbound legendsearthlier flavorearthy humorearthy languageeasy-to-understandelementary cost-benefit analysiselementary layereveryday activitieseveryday itemeveryday language
Show 32 more words
everyday natural languageeveryday termevidentevident conclusionevident differenceevident resultsexplicit instructionfeatureless planefeatureless slideshowflat areaflat figureflat groundnessflat landflat plain terrainflat terrainflowerlessfrugalgeneral descriptorgeneric approachhewnhomelierhomeliesthomelyinformal noteintroductory lessonlinguistic simplicityliteralliteral descriptorliteral phraseliteral writing stylemanifestmonotonous
Adverb(2 words)
Determiner(1 words)
most ground level
Related words (463)
nakednaturalneatnitty grittynonclericalnondescriptnothing to itnoticeableobservableobviousof a pieceoffhandoffhandedomnibusomnipresentopenopen countryopen spaceopen-and-shutopenhanded
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openheartedordinaryout-and-outoutbackoutrightoutspokenovertpainlesspalpablepampasparterrepasturepatentpeacefulpedestrianpellucidperceivableperceptibleperfectperfectlyperspicuouspervasivepictorialplain as dayplain spokenplain-speakingplain-spokenplainsplaneplateauplatformplayaplebeianplumbplumppoetrylesspolishedpoorpostulateprairieprairiesprimalprimaryprominentpronouncedprosaicproseprosingprosyprovinceprovincespublicpurepure and simplequietquiteradicalreadablerefinedregularrelaxedrestrainedrightrolledroundroutineruderural districtrusticrustic regionsalt flatsalt marshsavannasea levelsea of grassseeableself-esteemself-evidentself-explainingself-explanatorysevereshabby-genteelsheershortshort on lookssimon puresimon-puresimplesimple as abcsimple-speakingsimpleheartedsimplemindedsinceresinglesingle mindedsingle-heartedsingle-mindedsmallsmoothsmoothed outsmoothenedsnugsobersociablesoftsparespartanspoiledsquashedsquashed flatstaringstarksteppesteppesstraightstraight outstraight-outstraightforwardsweepingtabletablelandtabloidtabulartangibletastefulteachableterraceterrainterritorytersethe countrythe soilthe sticksthird-estatethoroughthoroughgoingthrough and throughthrough-and-throughtiresometo be seentobacco belttotaltranslucenttransparenttranspicuoustrimtroddentrodden flattrustfultrustingtundraubiquitousuglifieduglyugly as hellugly as sinunadornedunadulteratedunaestheticunaffectedunalluringunambiguousunassumingunattractiveunbeauteousunbeautifulunburdensomeunceremoniousuncheckeduncluttereduncomelyuncomplicatedunconcealedunconditionalunconfusedunconstrainedunconventionalundecoratedunderstandableundifferencedundifferentiatedundilutedundisguisedundissembledundissemblingundistinguishedunelaborateunembellishedunenhancedunequivocalunfeignedungarnishedungenteelunguardedunhandsomeunidealisticuniformunimaginativeunimpassionedunimportantuniversalunivocalunlaboredunlovelyunluxuriousunmistakableunmitigatedunmixedunofficialunornamentedunostentatiousunpleasingunpoeticunpoeticalunpretendingunpretentiousunprettyunqualifiedunrelievedlyunremarkableunreservedunrestrainedunrestrictedunromanticunsightlyunsophisticatedunstudiedunsuspiciousunvarnishedunwaryuplanduplandsuttervapidveldveldtveritablevernacularvisiblevividvulgarwater levelwealdwell-definedwell-markedwell-pronouncedwell-resolvedwheat beltwholesalewide open spaceswide-open spaceswildernesswoldwoodlandwoods and fieldsworkadayworkdayyokeldom
Noun(53 words)
naked skinnaturalnon patternnonacademic descriptornondescript designnonmusiciannonphysicistnonrigorous discoursenontechnical descriptornontechnical discoursenontechnical evaluationnorlutinnudeobservably clearobviouspatent actionplain edgeplain stitchplaintext orientedprairie
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prakritpublicquakersreadily apparentsans serif typefacesimplesimple designsimple explanationsimple food websimple life formsimple natural looksimply wordedsobersidesspanish ordinariostraight routestraightforwardtextbook registerunadorneduncomplicatedundistinguished figureunembellishingunflavoredunmarked optionunrelated to artunseasonedunsweeteneduser friendly interfaceutilitarianvanillavanilla noteveldsvernacularwater down version
Adjective(114 words)
neutral looknon descriptive wordnonacademic categorynonacademic subjectnonacademic textnonceremonialnonfigurative stylenonfloweringnonimprintednonmathematical coursenonstylisticnontechnicalnontechnical aidsnontechnical languagenontechnical modifiernontechnical termsnontechnical wordnorwegian grunnobservable eventobservable property
Show 94 more words
obvious factordinary citizenordinary dayordinary dutiesordinary horseordinary personovertpalpablepatentplain vanillaplainerplainishplainspoken explanationprosaic writingreadableriblesssans serif fontsheershort compositionsimple activitysimple cakesimple calculationssimple definitionssimple languagesimple livingsimple modifiersimple prosesimple sentencessimple subjectsimple termssimple textssimple vocabularysimplersingle-plysolid color shirtsparespartan architecturestandalone calculatorstylelesstransparent election processugly ogreunadorned furnitureunambiguous descriptionunartisticunbandedunbrandedunchemicaluncladuncodeduncompressed datauncovered skin areaunembellishedunembellished accountunembellished descriptionunembellished factsunembellished languageunembellished proseunembellished reportunencoded dataunencoded labelunexcitingunformattedunformatted contentunfrettedunfrostedunglazeduniced cookieunlinedunmarkedunmarked formunmarked substanceunmarked surfaceunmingledunmistakableunmixedunornamentedunornamented designunornamented simplicityunornate motifunpaintedunpatternedunpatterned conductunpatterned designunpatterned designsunpatterned fabricunpatterned lookunpatterned sheetunpatterned surfaceunpatterned wallsunsculpted formunspottedunstylishunvarnishedvast plain
Adjective(9 words)
Preposition(1 words)
Determiner(1 words)
the trivial point
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abrupt, absolute, absolutely, accessible, affable.
- Sentence evidence is available for plain, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "plain".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "plain"
Keep "plain" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "plain" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "plain", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "plain" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
11 entriescentral plainfertile plainflat plainopen plainplain clothesplain designplain languageplain truthplain yogurtthe plainvast plain
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriesAntonyms
2 entriessimilar
27 entriesShowing 16 of 27 words.
Sample sentences
47 total sentences available.
It's quite plain that you haven't been paying attention.
Source: tatoeba (17781)
It is plain that you have done this before.
Source: tatoeba (17790)
It is plain that you are to blame.
Source: tatoeba (17938)
Showing 4 of 47 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "plain"?
Closest matches include abrupt, absolute, absolutely, accessible, affable.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "plain"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.