adj

simple

SIHM-puhl

adj

Easy to understand or do; not complicated.

"The instructions were simple enough for a child to follow."

"It's a simple fix — just restart the router."

Plain, with no extra decoration or fuss.

"She wore a simple black dress to the funeral."

Honest and straightforward, without any hidden agenda; sometimes, unflatteringly, naive or slow-witted.

"He's a simple, good-hearted man who trusts everyone."

noun

A medicinal herb, or a remedy made from just one plant (an older, mostly historical use).

"The apothecary kept a garden of simples for making tinctures."

How to Use Simple

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEasy, plain, or uncomplicated — the opposite of complex or fancy.

Common mistake

Calling a person "simple" (meaning slow-witted) is old-fashioned and can come across as an insult — in modern English it's safer to save "simple" for things, not people, unless you mean it as a compliment about honesty.

Common pairings

keep it simple a simple explanation simple as that a simple life

Word Forms

simpler comparative, more simple comparative, simpled past tense, simples plural, simples singular, simplest superlative, most simple superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The instructions were _____ enough for a child to follow.

Etymology

From Old French simple, from Latin simplex ("onefold"), built from semel ("the same, once") plus plicare ("to fold") — literally "folded only once," as opposed to something duplex, or "twofold."

Rhymes for simple

pimple dimple

See all rhymes for simple →