Pronunciations (2)
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/ˈpleɪnli/
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ˈpleɪnli
Adverb
In a plain manner; simply; basically.
- Examples
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She decorated the room plainly but neatly.
'Tell me plainly what you think of my daughter's little companion.'
Obviously; clearly.
- Examples
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You will see that ours is plainly the better method.
More examples (1)
The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed. They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.
Plainly he was prepared to bark out an interminable succession of charges against the Wanderer.
Adverb
unmistakably (‘plain’ is often used informally for ‘plainly’)
- Examples
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the answer is obviously wrong
she was in bed and evidently in great pain
More examples (6)
he was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list
it is all patently nonsense
she has apparently been living here for some time
I thought he owned the property, but apparently not
You are plainly wrong
he is plain stubborn
in a simple manner; without extravagance or embellishment
- Synonyms
- Examples
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she was dressed plainly
they lived very simply