adj

flat

FLAT

adj

Level and even, with no slope, bumps, or curves.

"They pitched the tent on a flat patch of ground."

"The road ran flat for miles across the plain."

Unchanging or without variation, especially in sales, tone, or energy.

"Sales have been flat for the third quarter running."

"He answered in a flat voice, showing no emotion at all."

Of a tyre, deflated, usually because of a puncture.

"We had to pull over when the front tyre went flat."

Of a drink, having lost its fizz.

"The lemonade had gone flat by the time we opened it."

In music, lower in pitch than the correct note, or (of a written note) lowered by a semitone.

"The violinist noticed she was playing slightly flat."

noun

(British) A self-contained set of rooms for living in, occupying part of a larger building; an apartment.

"They rent a two-bedroom flat above the bakery."

"He moved into his first flat straight after university."

How to Use Flat

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLevel and unbroken, without ups and downs — literally (a flat road) or figuratively (flat sales, a flat tone); in British English it also just means "apartment."

Common mistake

Don't confuse the musical sense (lower than the correct pitch) with "sharp," which is higher.

UK vs US

In British English "flat" means what Americans call an "apartment."

Easily confused with

sharp →

Common pairings

flat tyre flat rate flat voice rent a flat

Word Forms

flatter comparative, more flat comparative, flatted past tense, flatted past tense, flats plural, flats singular, flats singular, flattest superlative, most flat superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

They pitched the tent on a _____ patch of ground.

Etymology

From Old Norse flatr ("flat"), borrowed into Middle English. The "apartment" sense comes from an older meaning of flat as "a level floor or storey."

Synonyms

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even planar plane smooth uniform boring dull uninteresting unfizzy tops

Antonyms

bumpy cratered hilly rough wrinkled sharp

Related Words

crude slow standard distinct light beautiful bitter dark

Rhymes for flat

lat splat

See all rhymes for flat →

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