flat

- definition

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing.These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are morefrequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

adjective

/flæt/

adjective	flat
comparative	flatter
superlative	flattest

1
level and parallel to the ground
The building has a flat roof.
You need a flat surface to work on.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
1. a.
  smooth on the surface, with no lumps or slopes
  The farmland is very flat.
  a firm flat stomach
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
2. b.
  thin and wide and not curving inwards or outwards
  a monitor with a flat screen
  She put the fruit on a large flat plate.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
2
stretched out or lying on a surface
Stand with your feet flat on the floor.
flat on your back:
She was flat on her back asleep.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
3
a flat rate or amount is the same in all situations, so that you do not pay more or less
The bank charges a flat fee of £5 for money transfers.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
4
lacking emotion, interest, or excitement
Ben’s voice was curiously flat when he told us the news.
The victory celebrations seemed rather flat.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
5
said directly and definitely
a flat refusal
It was a flat statement of fact, with no apology.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
6
a flat tyre does not have enough air in it
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
7
a flat battery does not have enough power left in it
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
8
a flat drink has lost its bubbles of gas, so that it does not taste good
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
9
flat shoes have very low heels or no heels
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
10
spoken in a voice that does not go up and down. This word is often used for describing the speech of people from a particular region.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
11
appearing as a line on a graph that does not go up or down, showing no activity or variety
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
12
used for describing an organization or system in which there are not many different levels of status
Many companies are adopting a flatter management structure.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
13
music a B flat, E flat etc is a musical note that is one semitone lower than B, E etc
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
1. a.
  music slightly lower than the musical note that should be played or sung
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat
14
with very little business or activity happening
August was a flat month.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat

phrase

as flat as a pancake
very flat
The sea by then was as flat as a pancake.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of flat

This is the British English definition of flat. View American English definition of flat.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

showmance

a romantic relationship between two members of the cast of a play, film or television series

BuzzWord Article

More BuzzWords

BuzzWord archive

Word of the Day

slime

a thick, wet, unpleasant substance that covers something

Word of the Day

Open Dictionary

human-readable

able to be read and understood by people

add a word

More submissions

view entries

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog

Did you know?