plain

adjective

/pleɪn/

Idioms

jump to other results

not decorated or complicated; simple
- a plain but elegant dress
- plain food
- The interior of the church was plain and simple.
- plain yogurt (= without sugar or fruit)
compare fancy
Homophones plain | plane
plain plane
/pleɪn/

/pleɪn/
- plain adjective
  She likes plain food, without sauces or cheese.
- plain noun
  Wheat is still grown on the Lombardy plain.
- plane noun
  They recently flew into London on a private plane.
- plane verb
  You may need to plane the surface for a smoother fit.
Extra Examples
- The dress was absolutely plain, but quite stunning.
- The food was fairly plain, but well cooked.
- I prefer plain, simple things.
- He eats his popcorn plain.
Topics Houses and homesb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- look
- seem
- …
adverb
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
phrases
- plain blue, white, etc.
See full entry
without marks or a pattern on it
- covers in plain or printed cotton
- Write on plain paper (= without lines).
Extra Examples
- Patterned carpet shows the dirt less than a plain colour.
- a range of plain and printed linens
- Do you want plain or lined paper?
- a plain white shirt
Topics Clothes and Fashionb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- look
- seem
- …
adverb
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
phrases
- plain blue, white, etc.
See full entry
easy to see or understand synonym clear
- He made it plain that we should leave.
- She made her annoyance plain.
- The facts were plain to see.
- It was a rip-off, plain and simple.
- plain to somebody It is all very plain to me.
- it is plain (to somebody) that… It was plain that she wanted to leave.
- it is plain (to somebody) how, what, etc…. It was plain to everyone just how dangerous the site could be.
- plain from something (that…) What is quite plain from the evidence before me is (that) the figures are false.
Synonyms clear
clear
- obvious
- apparent
- evident
- plain
These words all describe something that is easy to see or understand.
- clear easy to see or understand and leaving no doubts:
  It was quite clear to me that she was lying.
- obvious easy to see or understand:
  It’s obvious from what he said that something is wrong.
- apparent [not usually before noun] (rather formal) easy to see or understand:
  It was apparent from her face that she was really upset.
- evident (rather formal) easy to see or understand:
  The orchestra played with evident enjoyment.
- plain easy to see or understand:
  He made it very plain that he wanted us to leave.
which word?
- These words all have almost exactly the same meaning. There are slight differences in register and patterns of use. If you make something clear/plain, you do so deliberately because you want people to understand something; if you make something obvious, you usually do it without meaning to:
  I hope I make myself obvious.
  Try not to make it so clear/plain.
  In the expressions clear majority, for obvious reasons, for no apparent reason and plain to see, none of the other words can be used instead. You can have a clear/an obvious/a plain case of something but not:
  an evident case of something.
Patterns
- clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain to somebody/something
- clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain that/what/who/how/where/why…
- to seem/become/make something clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain
- perfectly/quite/very clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain
Extra Examples
- They made it plain that they were against the idea.
- Within weeks, it became perfectly plain that we were in the grip of a tyrant.
- He made it very plain that he wanted us to leave.
- Her intentions were plain enough.
- It was plain to us that they had left fairly recently.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- seem
- become
- …
adverb
- fairly
- very
- etc.
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry
not trying to trick anyone; honest and direct
- The plain fact is that nobody really knows.
- a politician with a reputation for plain speaking
- (especially North American English) a plain, straightforward sort of man
Synonyms plain
plain
- simple
- stark
- bare
- unequivocal
These words all describe statements, often about something unpleasant, that are very clear, not trying to hide anything, and not using more words than necessary.
- plain used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; honest and direct in a way that other people may not like:
  The plain fact is that nobody really knows.
- simple [only before noun] used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; very obvious and not complicated by anything else:
  The simple truth is that we just can’t afford it.
plain or simple?When it is being used to emphasize facts that other people may not like to hear, plain is usually used in the expression the plain fact/truth is that… Simple can be used in this way too, but it can also be used in a wider variety of structures and collocations (such as reason and matter): The problem was due to the simple fact that… • The problem was due to the plain fact that… • for the plain reason that… • It’s a plain matter of… Expressions with simple often suggest impatience with other people’s behaviour.
- stark (rather formal) used for describing an unpleasant fact or difference that is very obvious:
  The stark truth is that there is not enough money left.
  The simple/plain truth may be something that some people do not want to hear, but it may be good for them to hear it anyway. The stark truth is something particularly unpleasant and has no good side to it at all.
- bare [only before noun] the most basic or simple, with nothing extra:
  She gave me only the bare facts of the case.
- unequivocal (formal) expressing your opinion or intention very clearly and firmly:
  The reply was an unequivocal ‘no’.
Patterns
- the plain/simple/stark/bare/unequivocal truth
- a(n) plain/simple/stark/bare/unequivocal fact/statement
- a(n) plain/simple/unequivocal answer
Extra Examples
- He prided himself on being a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him.
- Let's be plain about this: we will need to make some difficult choices.
Topics Personal qualitiesc1
[only before noun] used to emphasize that something is very ordinary, not special in any way synonym everyday
- You don't need any special skills for this job, just plain common sense.
- The situation thrives on half-truths and plain ignorance.
(especially of a woman) not beautiful or attractive
- She looked very plain and dowdy.
- a rather plain woman
- As a child she was rather plain.
Topics Appearanceb2
describing a simple stitch used in knitting

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French plain, from Latin planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’.

Idioms

be plain sailing

(North American English be clear/smooth sailing)

to be simple and free from trouble

in plain English

simply and clearly expressed, without using technical language
- a document written in plain English
- If you could put it in plain English I might be able to understand.
- Teachers should encourage students to write in plain English.

(as) plain as a pikestaff | (as) plain as day | (as) plain as the nose on your face

very obvious

单词	plain
释义	plain adjective /pleɪn/ /pleɪn/ Idioms jump to other results not decorated or complicated; simple a plain but elegant dress plain food The interior of the church was plain and simple. plain yogurt (= without sugar or fruit) compare fancy Homophones plain \| planeplain plane /pleɪn/ /pleɪn/ plain adjective She likes plain food, without sauces or cheese. plain noun Wheat is still grown on the Lombardy plain. plane noun They recently flew into London on a private plane. plane verb You may need to plane the surface for a smoother fit. Extra Examples The dress was absolutely plain, but quite stunning. The food was fairly plain, but well cooked. I prefer plain, simple things. He eats his popcorn plain. Topics Houses and homesb2 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs be look seem … adverb extremely fairly very … phrases plain blue, white, etc. See full entry without marks or a pattern on it covers in plain or printed cotton Write on plain paper (= without lines). Extra Examples Patterned carpet shows the dirt less than a plain colour. a range of plain and printed linens Do you want plain or lined paper? a plain white shirt Topics Clothes and Fashionb2 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs be look seem … adverb extremely fairly very … phrases plain blue, white, etc. See full entry easy to see or understand synonym clear He made it plain that we should leave. She made her annoyance plain. The facts were plain to see. It was a rip-off, plain and simple. plain to somebody It is all very plain to me. it is plain (to somebody) that… It was plain that she wanted to leave. it is plain (to somebody) how, what, etc…. It was plain to everyone just how dangerous the site could be. plain from something (that…) What is quite plain from the evidence before me is (that) the figures are false. Synonyms clearclear obvious apparent evident plain These words all describe something that is easy to see or understand. clear easy to see or understand and leaving no doubts: It was quite clear to me that she was lying. obvious easy to see or understand: It’s obvious from what he said that something is wrong. apparent [not usually before noun] (rather formal) easy to see or understand: It was apparent from her face that she was really upset. evident (rather formal) easy to see or understand: The orchestra played with evident enjoyment. plain easy to see or understand: He made it very plain that he wanted us to leave. which word? These words all have almost exactly the same meaning. There are slight differences in register and patterns of use. If you make something clear/plain, you do so deliberately because you want people to understand something; if you make something obvious, you usually do it without meaning to: I hope I make myself obvious. Try not to make it so clear/plain. In the expressions clear majority, for obvious reasons, for no apparent reason and plain to see, none of the other words can be used instead. You can have a clear/an obvious/a plain case of something but not: an evident case of something. Patterns clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain to somebody/something clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain that/what/who/how/where/why… to seem/become/make something clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain perfectly/quite/very clear/obvious/apparent/evident/plain Extra Examples They made it plain that they were against the idea. Within weeks, it became perfectly plain that we were in the grip of a tyrant. He made it very plain that he wanted us to leave. Her intentions were plain enough. It was plain to us that they had left fairly recently. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs be seem become … adverb fairly very etc. … preposition to See full entry not trying to trick anyone; honest and direct The plain fact is that nobody really knows. a politician with a reputation for plain speaking (especially North American English) a plain, straightforward sort of man Synonyms plainplain simple stark bare unequivocal These words all describe statements, often about something unpleasant, that are very clear, not trying to hide anything, and not using more words than necessary. plain used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; honest and direct in a way that other people may not like: The plain fact is that nobody really knows. simple [only before noun] used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; very obvious and not complicated by anything else: The simple truth is that we just can’t afford it. plain or simple?When it is being used to emphasize facts that other people may not like to hear, plain is usually used in the expression the plain fact/truth is that… Simple can be used in this way too, but it can also be used in a wider variety of structures and collocations (such as reason and matter): The problem was due to the simple fact that… • The problem was due to the plain fact that… • for the plain reason that… • It’s a plain matter of… Expressions with simple often suggest impatience with other people’s behaviour. stark (rather formal) used for describing an unpleasant fact or difference that is very obvious: The stark truth is that there is not enough money left. The simple/plain truth may be something that some people do not want to hear, but it may be good for them to hear it anyway. The stark truth is something particularly unpleasant and has no good side to it at all. bare [only before noun] the most basic or simple, with nothing extra: She gave me only the bare facts of the case. unequivocal (formal) expressing your opinion or intention very clearly and firmly: The reply was an unequivocal ‘no’. Patterns the plain/simple/stark/bare/unequivocal truth a(n) plain/simple/stark/bare/unequivocal fact/statement a(n) plain/simple/unequivocal answer Extra Examples He prided himself on being a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him. Let's be plain about this: we will need to make some difficult choices. Topics Personal qualitiesc1 [only before noun] used to emphasize that something is very ordinary, not special in any way synonym everyday You don't need any special skills for this job, just plain common sense. The situation thrives on half-truths and plain ignorance. (especially of a woman) not beautiful or attractive She looked very plain and dowdy. a rather plain woman As a child she was rather plain. Topics Appearanceb2 describing a simple stitch used in knitting Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French plain, from Latin planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’. Idioms be plain sailing (North American English be clear/smooth sailing) to be simple and free from trouble in plain English simply and clearly expressed, without using technical language a document written in plain English If you could put it in plain English I might be able to understand. Teachers should encourage students to write in plain English. (as) plain as a pikestaff \| (as) plain as day \| (as) plain as the nose on your face very obvious plain noun /pleɪn/ /pleɪn/ (also plains [plural]) jump to other results a large area of flat land the flat coastal plain of Thassos Millions of buffalo used to roam freely across the Great Plains. see also floodplain Homophones plain \| planeplain plane /pleɪn/ /pleɪn/ plain adjective She likes plain food, without sauces or cheese. plain noun Wheat is still grown on the Lombardy plain. plane noun They recently flew into London on a private plane. plane verb You may need to plane the surface for a smoother fit. Extra Examples Cattle move freely across the grassy plain. Herds of buffalo roamed these plains. Nothing grew on the plain. The horses galloped across the open plains. fertile plains suitable for farming miles of rolling plain, made fertile by the river the Olduvai Gorge in the vast plain of Tanzania To the east lies the flat coastal plain of the Yucatan peninsula. Topics Geographyc1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective open rolling great … verb + plain cross roam preposition across a/the plain in a/the plain on a/the plain … See full entry Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French plain, from Latin planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’. plain adverb /pleɪn/ /pleɪn/ (informal) jump to other results used to emphasize how bad, stupid, etc. something is plain stupid/wrong Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French plain, from Latin planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’.
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