Pronunciation

/flæt/

Definitions

• Adjective: Having a smooth, even surface with no bumps or indentations; not raised or projecting. For example: “The table top was perfectly flat.”

  • Also used to describe something that is horizontal or level: “The ground is flat near the riverbank.”
  • In music, it can refer to a note without vibrato or variations in pitch: “She sang the note flat.”
  • As a figurative term, it can mean dull, lacking intensity or enthusiasm: “His performance was flat and uninspired.”

• Noun:

  • A level, usually rectangular space in a building such as an apartment or office on one level of a multi-story building. Example: “They lived in a third-floor flat.”
  • A tire that has lost its air pressure and is no longer fully inflated. Example: “I had a flat tire on my way to work.”
  • British English also uses ‘flat’ to refer to a type of shoe with a very low heel: “She wore a pair of black flats to the dance.”

Phrases

• “Flat out”: At full speed or with maximum effort. Example: “We were driving flat out to reach the airport on time.”
• “As flat as a pancake”: Extremely level or without any noticeable curves or elevations. Example: “The Midwest landscape is as flat as a pancake.”
• “To fall flat”: To fail to evoke a response or achieve the intended effect. Example: “His joke fell flat and no one laughed.”

Example Sentences

• Adjective: “The painter applied the paint evenly over the flat surface.”
• Noun (apartment): “After college, they moved into a cozy one-bedroom flat downtown.”
• Noun (tire): “I had to change my car’s flat tire by the roadside.”
• Figurative usage: “Her attempts to cheer him up left him feeling flat and unresponsive.”

Synonyms

• Level (adjective)
• Apartment (noun, when referring to housing)
• Deflated (noun, when referring to tires)
• Monotonous (figurative usage)