👀 Obvious or clear 🥛 Simple, not mixed 🌾 Flat open land 🗣️ Direct, simple words 🙂 Not attractive 😩 To complain 🧶 Basic knitting stitch

plain

335 1.0

Easy to see or understand

adjective
/pleɪn/

: claro

So I was just talking about it plain and simple.
plain language
in plain sight
in plain view

And the father was said, make it plain, make it clear, make it real.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Men of America, the problem is plain before you.
The governor made it plain that he would not wait long, nor would he surrender any land.

Academic text (1995)
So first, you make more money than him, plain and simple.

Stephan Speaks
Find out what the check engine light means in plain English.

Adam Savage’s Tested
It's as plain as day.

Do the Right Thing (1989)
You look wonderful, just plain wonderful.

This Could Be the Night (1957)
Clear and plain and coming through fine.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
There are those who believe the answer is simple and hiding in plain sight.

Tiffany McKinley: Sailor (2014)
How do we know if the evidence from studies is flawed, biased, or just plain wrong?

Academic text (2012)
The solution to the problem was plain and clear to everyone in the room.

Synonyms

clear

vsplain

∞ 1.0

Easy to understand and not confusing

focuses on obviousness rather than expressing style or phrasing

simple

vsplain

∞ 1.0

Easy to understand or do

is about being clearly noticeable rather than merely uncomplicated

obvious

vsplain

∞ 1.0

Easy to see or understand

highlights plainness as general obviousness rather than mere visibility

apparent

vsplain

227 2.8

Easy to see or understand

stresses general plainness rather than specific sensory clarity

evident

vsplain

186 2.1

Easy to see or understand

is similar but may be slightly less forceful in perception

straightforward

vsplain

94 3.7

Something that is easy to understand and clear

is about obviousness rather than absence of complexity

clear-cut

vsplain

45 4.2

Easy to see and understand

is clear but can allow minor ambiguity or nuance

palpable

vsplain

44 6.1

A very strong feeling or atmosphere that you notice easily

is obvious in a basic way but not necessarily intense or physical

crystal clear

vsplain

Informal

41 2.5

Very easy to understand or hear

is easy to see or understand but with less strong emphasis

unmistakable

vsplain

40 3.9

Very clear and easy to recognize

is clear and obvious but may allow some confusion

easy to understand

vsplain

40 1.0

Simple and clear so most people can know what it means quickly

focuses on being noticeable and obvious rather than only simplicity

manifest

vsplain

Formal

21 4.2

Easy to see or notice, often showing a feeling

covers obviousness in everyday cases rather than formal proof

transparent

vsplain

19 3.5

Very obvious and easy to see or understand

is obvious because nothing is hidden rather than signaling openness

uncomplicated

vsplain

18 3.2

Easy to understand or deal with

emphasizes obviousness to the observer rather than just ease

cut-and-dry

vsplain

16 4.1

Clear and simple, not likely to change

is about simple obviousness rather than finality or permanence

intelligible

vsplain

8 4.4

Easy to hear and understand

refers more to being obvious or evident than mere comprehension

patent

vsplain

3 4.1

Easy to see or understand

is clear in everyday use but less marked as immediate recognition

clearcut

vsplain

3 3.8

Easy to see and understand because there is no doubt

emphasizes general obviousness rather than decisive finality

clean-cut

vsplain

3 4.0

With sharp edges and clear lines

is easy to recognize but focuses less on sharp outlines

limpid

vsplain

1 6.4

Clear and easy to understand, especially in writing or speech

applies more broadly to things that are simply obvious or clear

luculent

vsplain

Formal

9.9

Clear and easy to understand speech or writing

is about being obvious in sense or look rather than wording

Antonyms

ambiguous

67 6.3

Not clear because it can have more than one meaning

obscure

37 8.2

Hard to understand because it is unclear or complex

Idioms

in plain sight

45 2.7

Easily seen because it is not hidden

to hide in plain sight

Informal

19 5.2

To be easy to see but not noticed by others

hidden in plain sight

Informal

4 4.8

Easy to see but not noticed because it looks ordinary

plain sailing

1 2.8

Easy to do and without problems after it starts

Compounds

plain clothes

9 3.2

Ordinary clothes that let people in uniform blend in

flood plain

8 3.7

Flat land next to a river that often floods when the river rises

coastal plain

5 3.0

A flat low area of land next to the sea

Serengeti Plain

1 6.4

A large flat grassland in northern Tanzania with many wild animals

alluvial plain

Specialized

1 5.8

A flat area of land near a river with rich soil left by floods

salt plain

1 3.9

A large flat area of land covered with salt after salt water dries

Nullarbor Plain

1 9.9

A very large dry plain in southern Australia with few trees and little water

plain flour

1 1.0

Flour without baking powder used for baking and cooking

plain dealing

1 4.7

Honest and open way of acting without hiding anything

plain-woven

Specialized

1 4.9

Cloth made by crossing threads over and under in a simple pattern

plain weave

Specialized

1 5.3

A simple cloth pattern where threads go over then under each other

plain clothes detective

1 4.1

A police officer who wears ordinary clothes while working to avoid attention

plain stitch

1 5.3

A basic knitting move where you push the needle through the front of a loop

plain wanderer

Australian

9.9

A small Australian bird that lives in open grasslands

How Clear

unmistakable

40 3.9

obvious

∞ 1.0

plain

335 1.0

apparent

227 2.8

Surface Forms

plain positive

plainer comparative

plainest superlative

Etymology

Plain comes from Latin planus meaning 'clear' or 'flat', and from that came the sense 'easy to see'. So if something is plain to see, it is obvious and easy to understand.