flat
gb/flˈæt/ us/flˈæt/
A1
Anglais
~ 2400
Sens
0 sens
adjective
A2
property
1
Level and even surface
Smooth and level, not bumpy or sloping.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is flat
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'flat' with 'smooth', but 'smooth' refers to texture, while 'flat' refers to shape or levelness.
Synonymes
level (Emphasizes being even and horizontal.)
Antonymes
uneven (Not level; having irregular surfaces.)
Collocations
perfectly flat
|completely flat
|flat surface
|flat ground
|flat roof
Thèmes
geometry
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The path was flat and easy to walk on.
- She placed the book on a flat surface.
- The countryside here is mostly flat farmland.
- Make sure the table is flat before cutting the fabric.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The road is flat.
- This table is flat.
- Her garden is flat.
- The floor is flat.
Nom
A1
entity
2
Self-contained housing unit
A home inside a building, usually on one floor.
Schéma d’usage :
live in a flat
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners use 'flat' when speaking American English, where 'apartment' is more common.
Synonymes
apartment (The usual term in American English; 'flat' is more common in British English.)
Antonymes
house (A separate building for living in.)
Collocations
rent a flat
|furnished flat
|studio flat
|top-floor flat
Thèmes
housing
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- They bought a small flat in the city center.
- I’m looking for a two-bedroom flat to rent.
- Her flat has a great view of the river.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I live in a flat.
- My friend has a big flat.
- They rent a flat in London.
adjective
B1
property
3
Without energy or variation
Not interesting or lively; boring or without change.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] feels/sounds/seems flat
Synonymes
dull (General term for lacking excitement.)
Antonymes
lively (Full of energy and interest.)
Collocations
flat performance
|flat voice
|flat atmosphere
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Her voice sounded flat during the speech.
- The party felt flat after the main guest left.
- His performance was technically good but emotionally flat.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The music was flat.
- The game was flat after halftime.
- Her talk was flat.
adjective
A2
property
4
Without bubbles in drink
Not fizzy anymore.
Schéma d’usage :
[drink] is flat
Synonymes
stale (In drinks, can imply loss of freshness as well as fizz.)
Antonymes
fizzy (Containing bubbles of gas.)
Collocations
flat beer
|flat soda
Thèmes
food and drink
|food_drink
|daily_life
Exemples
- This cola is flat because it was left open overnight.
- The beer tasted flat and warm.
- He poured out the flat lemonade.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The soda is flat.
- My drink is flat now.
- This water is not fizzy; it is flat.
adverb
A2
state
5
Completely level against surface
Lying straight with no part higher than another.
Synonymes
levelly (More formal and less common adverb for lying evenly.)
Antonymes
upright (Vertical position instead of lying down.)
Collocations
lie flat
|fall flat
Thèmes
movement
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He lay flat on his back to rest.
- Place the paper flat on the table before writing.
- She fell flat on the ground.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Lie flat on the bed.
- The book is flat on the desk.
- He fell flat on the floor.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
flat
API
GB/flˈæt/
US/flˈæt/
Syllabes et accentuation
flat (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (flat)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: flat
- Comparative: flatter
- Superlative: flattest
Noun
- Base: flat
- Plural: flats
Famille de mots
Forms
Core family
flatten
verb
Related words
flatly
adverb
flatness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
uneven
adjective B1
bumpy
adjective
Points clés
- Irregular comparative: flatter Adjective
- Irregular superlative: flattest Adjective
Expressions
fall flat on one's face
1/fˈɔl flˈæt ˈɔn wˈʌnz fˈeɪs/
idiom
informal
Fail in an embarrassing way
To fail badly and embarrass yourself, sometimes by literally falling forward onto your face.
Exemples
- He fell flat on his face during the presentation.
- I tried to impress her but fell flat on my face.
flat as a pancake
1/flˈæt ˈæz ə pˈæŋkˌeɪk/
idiom
informal
Extremely level or thin shape
Very level and without height or curves.
Exemples
- The land here is as flat as a pancake.
- After sitting on it, the cushion was as flat as a pancake.
flat as a pancake
1/flˈæt ˈæz ə pˈæŋkˌeɪk/
idiom
extremely flat
very, very flat
Exemples
- After the tire blew, it was flat as a pancake.
- The old pillow is flat as a pancake now.
- The field looked flat as a pancake from the hill.
flat out
1/flˈæt ˈaʊt/
idiom
informal
At full speed or very tired
Working as hard as possible, moving as fast as possible, or being very tired (depending on context).
Exemples
- We’ve been working flat out to meet the deadline.
- He was running flat out to catch the bus.
fall flat
1/fˈɔl flˈæt/
idiom
Fail to have intended effect
To fail to have the effect you wanted, especially to be funny or impressive.
Exemples
- His joke fell flat and no one laughed.
- His attempt at a joke fell flat and no one laughed.
- The campaign fell flat despite heavy promotion.
- The advertising campaign fell flat with younger audiences.