WordGarden.ioflat
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /flˈæt/
US
- /ˈflæt/
Meanings
Adjective
level and even rather than sloping, curved, or bumpy
having lost air or no longer being inflated
dull, lifeless, or lacking flavor, sparkle, or emotional effect
More meaningsFewer meanings
fixed, uniform, or showing little or no change
lower than the correct or named musical pitch
Noun
a set of rooms used as a home; an apartment
Beyond the definition
"Flat" might seem simple. You may first picture a smooth tabletop, but the word goes much further than physical surfaces. It can describe something level and even, like flat land or a flat road. It can also mean a home, especially in British English, where a flat is an apartment. A tire becomes flat when it loses its air, and a drink can go flat when it loses its bubbles. It also describes things that feel dull or without energy, like a flat joke or a flat voice. In music, a flat note is a note that is a little lower in pitch than expected.
The word "flat" has a surprising number of layers, almost all revolving around a lack of height, dimension, or intensity. At its most basic, it describes something that is smooth and level, such as a flat road, a flat surface, or a flat piece of paper. It is also commonly used for land with very few hills, like the famously flat landscape of the Great Plains.
Beyond shape, "flat" often points to a lack of volume, fullness, or pressure. A flat tire is deflated, a flat cake has not risen properly, and a flat soda has lost its fizzy carbonation. In everyday British English, a flat is also an apartment, so someone might say they are renting a flat in London. Figuratively, the word can suggest a lack of energy, feeling, or depth. A flat joke does not get much of a reaction, a flat voice sounds emotionless, and a flat character in a story feels simple and not fully developed.
The term also appears in musical and idiomatic contexts. In music, a flat note is one lowered by a semitone, and a musician might play B-flat instead of B natural. In speech and writing, something flat may feel lifeless or disappointing. In common expressions, "flat out" can mean working as fast as possible, and "flat broke" means having no money at all. Whether it describes a surface, a home, a drink, a voice, or a musical tone, "flat" usually carries the idea of being level, reduced, dull, or lower than normal.
Examples
- 1
Surface
We need a flat surface to build the shelf on.
- 2
Tire problem
One of the tires went flat on the way home.
- Phrasego flat
lose the air inside
- 3
Drinks
This sparkling water has gone flat.
- 4
British housing
They rented a small flat near the station.
- Usageflat
an apartment, especially in British English
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Emotionless voice
Her voice sounded flat, so I knew something was wrong.
- 6
Failed joke
The joke fell flat, and nobody laughed.
- Phrasefall flat
fail to get the expected reaction
- 7
Business trend
Sales were flat for most of the year.
- 8
Direct refusal
He refused flat when they asked him to stay.
- Phraserefuse flat
refuse completely and directly
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- flatnounadjectiveadverb
Forms
- flatspluralnounadjectiveadverb
- flattercomparativeadjectivenounadverb
- flattestsuperlativeadjectivenounadverb