1
as in humble
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
we were all impressed by how down-to-earth the movie star turned out to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a down-to-earth guidance counselor who is frank in telling students which colleges they're likely to get into
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-to-earth
People aren’t fully aware of how complicated, down-to-earth, dirty, and full of suffering the resistance was.
—
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026
Natural wood-grain texture gives this bed a down-to-earth aesthetic but still winks at New England vintage.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 May 2026
In person, Magyar gives every indication of being magnanimous and down-to-earth, smiling easily, thanking everyone profusely, and treating his son with what looks like authentic affection, even when the cameras aren’t rolling.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
All achieved on the back of a dressing room that, despite the massive upheaval in personnel, has remained as down-to-earth and lacking in egos as before.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for down-to-earth
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026
Natural wood-grain texture gives this bed a down-to-earth aesthetic but still winks at New England vintage.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 May 2026
In person, Magyar gives every indication of being magnanimous and down-to-earth, smiling easily, thanking everyone profusely, and treating his son with what looks like authentic affection, even when the cameras aren’t rolling.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
All achieved on the back of a dressing room that, despite the massive upheaval in personnel, has remained as down-to-earth and lacking in egos as before.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for down-to-earth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-to-earth
Adjective
-
Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
The quality emerging from this food stall inside Edgewater Public Market doesn’t match its humble name or decor.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps that just compels Presti to remain more pragmatic and bolster positional rotation needs instead of attempting a huge swing.—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Travel + Leisure recently spoke to two former flight attendants about their preflight routines and practices, and the answers ranged from pragmatic to surprisingly insightful.—
Jill Robbins,
Travel + Leisure,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Their 1-1 draw instead brought a meek defence of their Premier League title to an end.—
Luke Bosher,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
-
Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
None of this felt realistic, especially not Colman Domingo’s sawed-off-shotgun-wielding Ali shooting up Alamo’s club in his mentee Rue’s honor, shattering a mask of poise that had defined his character (like the whiplash of Khaleesi’s end of Game of Thrones rogue era).—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Critics, including some of the country’s largest education networks, say the government’s framework does not provide a fair or realistic measure of success for creative professionals.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Cal Fire still holds a modest annual budget for wildfire mitigation work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Frankly, his ambitions are modest, and this sits well with us.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kids can enjoy welcome milk and cookies, along with a variety of in-room amenities, such as toys and board games, kid-sized robes and slippers, and practical items like cribs, high chairs, bottle warmers, and diapers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Josh, who wants to be an investigative journalist, is an idealist in a PBS T-shirt (and with a PBS tote bag) who gets by on family money and is incapable of taking care of himself in any practical way.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Down-to-earth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-to-earth. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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