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flat

flat

248 4.4
Not lively and often weak in taste or sound
  • adjective
  • /flæt/
: plano
  • Well, let's say those numbers stay flat from May to June.
  • fall flat
  • flat and dull
  • remain flat

Some of the shades are like completely flat in the pan.

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Examples

  • "How do you think?" Karo asked, his voice dry and flat, barren of emotion.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • This looks so flat and dull and lifeless.

  • Two big days, a big, flat, long day of driving.

  • The results are similar to the results based on a flat market, although there are some clear differences.

    Academic text (2017)
  • However, where Mini-Plans have fallen flat on their faces is in the area of transparency and accountability.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Fund managers predominantly use IRR models assuming a flat market for their fund's placing documents.

    Academic text (2017)
  • For once there was an expression on the teacher's flat face, but Christina could not fathom it.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Since the restaurant changed its menu, the food has been quite flat and unappetizing.

  • The team's performance was flat this season, with no improvements in their standings.

  • Her tone was flat during the presentation, lacking any enthusiasm or variation.

Synonyms

boring
vsflat
792 1.0

Not interesting and making you feel tired or impatient

is a general term for lacking liveliness or variation
bland
vsflat
38 2.8

A thing that has no strong character and few interesting features

is broader, naming dullness in many sensory and non sensory areas
dull
vsflat
30 1.0

Not bright or shiny with weak colour

is more general, meaning lack of liveliness across senses and situations
lackluster
vsflat
  • US
29 6.1

Dull and showing little energy

is the general idea of lacking liveliness in many contexts
tame
vsflat
25 3.7

Not exciting or interesting

is wider, including sensory dullness like muted taste or color
drab
vsflat
21 4.2

Not bright or colorful and not lively

is more general, applying also to taste, sound, and activity
uninteresting
vsflat
19 1.4

Not exciting and likely to make people bored

is similar but also covers sensory dullness like taste and color
monotonous
vsflat
18 5.3

Something that is boring because it has no variety

is broader, describing single dull moments as well as ongoing dullness
insipid
vsflat
17 7.3

Having little taste and being boring

is broader, naming dullness across senses and actions
lifeless
vsflat
16 3.6

Without energy or interest and making people feel bored

is broader, applying to objects and sensory qualities too
nondescript
vsflat
16 7.1

Not having special or interesting features so it does not stand out

is broader, covering plainness and sensory dullness alike
humdrum
vsflat
8 6.5

Not exciting and having little variety

is the general absence of liveliness beyond mere repetition
uninspiring
vsflat
6 3.5

Not interesting or exciting

covers the same lack but also applies to sensory flatness
monotone
vsflat
5 5.8

Said or sung in the same tone without change

is broader, covering monotony in taste, color, and feeling
5 5.4

A person or thing that has no special quality

is the wider concept of dullness across many situations
two-dimensional
vsflat
  • Informal
5 5.5

Has no depth or interesting detail

is broader, covering both shallow and sensory dullness
flavorless
vsflat
  • US
4 3.5

Food that has little or no taste and seems bland

is broader, naming dullness in taste, sound, color, and performance
colorless
vsflat
  • US
4 3.9

Not interesting or exciting

is a general label for dullness across senses and uses
unexciting
vsflat
3 3.2

Not interesting or exciting

is wider, also applying to bland tastes and muted colors
lusterless
vsflat
  • US
1 7.2

Not shiny and showing little energy or life

is more general, covering dullness in many sensory areas
monotonic
vsflat
1 8.1

A voice that keeps the same pitch and tone

is more general, applying to many types of dullness
flattish
vsflat
1 4.6

Not very energetic or lively in mood

is the fuller absence of liveliness across senses and actions
dullish
vsflat
1 3.7

Not bright in color and not very interesting

names the clear absence of liveliness or variation
vapid
vsflat
1 8.2

Food or drink that has little taste

is broader, used for lack of liveliness in many domains
savorless
vsflat
  • US
7.5

Having very little taste

is wider, applying to dull qualities beyond taste
matty
vsflat
7.4

Having a flat, not shiny surface, like some paints or phone cases

is broader, meaning dull in look, sound, taste, and action

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Making people feel very interested and eager

146 4.2

Full of energy, new ideas, and constant activity

93 4.1

Full of energy and activity that makes people feel excited

Idioms

flat out
  • Informal
85 7.0

To say something plainly without hiding feelings

flat out
  • Informal
11 4.3

To do something as fast and as hard as possible

nothing flat
  • Informal
2 8.5

Very quickly without delay

in nothing flat
  • Archaic
1 7.0

In a very short time

Lying on the back on the ground because someone is tired, hurt, or sick

To fail completely and feel embarrassed in front of others

Compounds

49 2.2

A tire with little or no air that cannot work properly

5 4.2

Having a level top surface

4 4.8

A flat area of land covered with salt after water dries

3 3.7

Having a level base that is not curved

flat earther
  • Informal
3 9.9

A person who believes the Earth is flat

2 3.4

A thing that has a flat top like a table or a low hill

2 4.1

A flat area of mud near the coast that is underwater at high tide and dry at low tide

An herb with flat broad leaves that people use in cooking for its strong flavor

1 9.0

A person who believes the Earth is flat

cold-water flat
  • Archaic
1 8.8

An apartment in an old building that has no hot running water or central heating

flat panel display
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A thin, flat screen for computers and televisions

1 3.4

A rounded hat with a small stiff brim at the front, often made of wool or tweed

1 8.1

An apartment with all rooms in a row connected by doors, often with no hallway

1 3.1

A strong, flat surface you lie on to lift weights

flat chat
  • Informal
1 9.0

A dull conversation with little energy or interest

A tool with a flat tip that lets you turn screws with a straight slot

flat file
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A hand tool with a rough flat surface that you move to smooth or shape wood and metal

1 3.1

A container with a level base that stands steadily

A friendly hunting dog with a long shiny black or brown coat that brings back animals from water and land

flat coat
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A first thin layer of paint you apply before the final layers

1 4.1

Having a stomach that is flat and not rounded

alluvial flat
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A flat area of land made by soil left by rivers

1 5.5

A thin smooth band of material used to hold or carry things like bags

flat arch
  • Specialized
1 7.9

A straight horizontal top for a door or window made of angled stones that support each other

1 8.6

A European perennial plant with purple and pink flowers grown for animal feed and to improve soil

A clarinet tuned to B-flat that is commonly used in bands and orchestras

1 4.1

A boat with a level hull for shallow, calm water

common flat pea
  • Australian
7.6

A low spreading evergreen bush from southern Australia with orange-yellow flowers and flat winged pods

double flat
  • Specialized
8.4

A music sign placed before a note that makes it sound one whole tone lower

9.3

A cut of beef from the sirloin next to the wedge bone

5.3

Large flat laundry items like sheets and towels that are ironed by machine

flat knot
  • Specialized
3.6

A simple tie that joins two ropes securely, often used in sailing and wrapping packages

flat pea
  • Australian
9.0

A low evergreen shrub with heart-shaped leaves, bright yellow pea-like flowers, and flat seed pods

9.9

A North American plant that lives for many years with flat clusters of small white flowers

How Dull

lifeless
16 3.6
flat
248 4.4
ordinary
681 1.0
lively
109 1.3

Surface Forms

flat positive
flatter comparative
flattest superlative

Etymology

Flat meaning 'dull' or lifeless comes from the idea of no rise or energy — like a soda that has lost its bubbles and is no longer lively. So when food, sound, or an event is called flat, it feels weak or without spark.