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   flat

   /flat/

   adjective

   • 1. having a level surface; without raised areas or indentations: "he sat down on a flat rock" Similar levelhorizontallevelledsmoothevenuniformconsistentfeaturelessflushplumbregularunvaryingcontinuousunbrokenplaneOpposite verticalbumpy
   • ▪ (of land) without hills: "thirty-five acres of flat countryside"
   • ▪ (of an expanse of water) calm and without waves. Similar calmstilltranquilpacificundisturbedwithout waveslike a millpondglassymotionlesswavelessunagitatedliterary:stillyOpposite choppy
   • ▪ not sloping: "the flat roof of a garage" Similar levelhorizontallevelledsmoothevenuniformconsistentfeaturelessflushplumbregularunvaryingcontinuousunbrokenplaneOpposite verticalbumpy
   • ▪ having a broad level surface but little height or depth; shallow: "a flat rectangular box" Similar shallownot deepwideOpposite deep
   • ▪ (of shoes) without heels or with very low heels. Similar lowlow-heeledheellesswithout heelsOpposite high-heeled
   • 2. lacking emotion; dull and lifeless: "‘I'm sorry,’ he said, in a flat voice" Similar monotonoustonelessdroningboringdulltediousuninterestingunexcitingsoporificblandvapidvacantinsipidprosaicdrearycolourlessfeaturelessjejuneemotionlessunfeelingunexcitedunexpressiveexpressionlesslifelessspiritlesslacklustredeadinformal:deadlyOpposite excitingemotional
   • ▪ (of a person) without energy or enthusiasm: "his sense of intoxication wore off until he felt flat and weary" Similar depresseddejecteddispiriteddespondentdownhearteddishearteneddiscouragedlowlow-spiriteddowngloomyglumunhappybluedesolateweighed downoppressedwithout energyenervatedsappedwearytired outworn outexhausteddevitalizeddrainedinformal:down in the mouthdown in the dumpsOpposite cheerfulfull of beans
   • ▪ (of trade, prices, etc.) not showing much activity; sluggish: "the UK housing market was flat" Similar slowinactivesluggishslow-movingslackquietnot busydepressedstagnantstaticdeadunproductiveOpposite busy
   • ▪ (of a colour) uniform: "a flat shade of grey"
   • ▪ (of a photograph or negative) lacking contrast.
   • 3. (of a sparkling drink) having lost its effervescence: "she sipped some of the flat champagne" Similar stilldeadno longer effervescentOpposite sparkling
   • ▪ (of something kept inflated, especially a tyre) having lost some or all of its air, typically because of a puncture. Similar deflatedpuncturedburstcollapsedblown outrupturedpiercedempty of airdecompresseddepressurizedOpposite inflated
   • ▪ (of a battery) having exhausted its charge. British Similar expireddeadfinishedused uprun outinformal:kaputdudduffOpposite freshworking
   • 4. (of a fee, wage, or price) the same in all cases, not varying with changed conditions or in particular cases: "a flat fare of £2.50" Similar fixedsetregularestablishedunchangingunvaryinginvariableunfluctuatingconsistentconstantuniformstraighthard and fast
   • ▪ (of a denial, contradiction, or refusal) completely definite and firm; absolute: "the request was met with a flat refusal" Similar outrightdirectpoint blankout and outdownrightabsolutedefinitepositivestraightstarkall outplainexplicitfirmresoluteadamantassertiveemphaticinsistentfinalconclusivecompleteuttercategoricalunconditionalsheerthoroughthoroughgoingunqualifiedunmodifiedunequivocalunquestionableunrestrictedunmitigated
   • 5. (of musical sound) below true or normal pitch.
   • ▪ (of a key) having a flat or flats in the signature.
   • ▪ (of a note) a semitone lower than a specified note: "E flat"
   • 6. relating to flat racing: "the Flat season"

   adverb

   • 1. in or to a horizontal position: "he was lying flat on his back" Similar stretched outoutstretchedspreadeagledpronerecliningsprawlingsupineprostraterecumbenton one's backon one's stomach/front(flat) on one's facerare:procumbent
   • ▪ lying in close juxtaposition, especially against another surface: "his black curly hair was blown flat across his skull"
   • ▪ so as to become smooth and even: "I hammered the metal flat"
   • 2. completely; absolutely: informal "I thought you'd turn me down flat" Similar outrightdirectlyabsolutelyplainlyexplicitlyfirmlyresolutelyadamantlyassertivelyemphaticallyinsistentlyfinallyconclusivelycompletelyutterlycategoricallyunconditionallythoroughlydefinitelyunequivocallyunquestionably
   • ▪ used with an expression of time to emphasize how quickly something can be done or has been done: "you can prepare a healthy meal in ten minutes flat"
   • 3. below the true or normal pitch of musical sound: "it wasn't a question of singing flat, but of simply singing the wrong notes"

   noun

   • 1. the flat part of something: "she placed the flat of her hand over her glass"
   • ▪ an area of low level ground, especially near water: "the shingle flats of the lake"
   • ▪ a shallow container in which seedlings are grown and sold. North American
   • ▪ a shoe with a very low heel or no heel: "she wore a white strapless dress and a pair of electric blue flats"
   • ▪ a railway wagon with a flat floor and no sides or roof; a flatcar.
   • 2. an upright section of stage scenery mounted on a movable frame.
   • 3. a flat tyre: informal North American "I've got a flat—there were nails under the wheel"
   • 4. flat racing. British
   • 5. a musical note lowered a semitone below natural pitch.
   • ▪ the sign ♭, indicating a flat.

   verb

   • 1. lower (a note) by a semitone: North American "when a person has a poor ear for music, he will flat and sharp right along without knowing it"
   • 2. make flat; flatten: archaic "flat the loaves down"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old Norse flatr.

   Derivatives

   • 1. flattish adjective

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • F

     4

   • L

     1

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

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