Meaning & use
down-to-earth
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Practical, sensible, and natural in manner, without pretending to be more important than others.
Grammar: Usually after be or before a noun: a down-to-earth person.
Patterns
- down-to-earth about something
Despite her fame, she is warm and down-to-earth.
He gave down-to-earth advice that anyone could follow.
The mayor has a down-to-earth style that voters like.
adjectivebefore a noun
Focused on real, practical matters rather than ideas or dreams.
Grammar: Describes advice, plans, or approaches.
Patterns
- a down-to-earth approach
The book offers a down-to-earth approach to saving money.
She replaced his wild ideas with down-to-earth plans.
A down-to-earth budget helped the club stay afloat.
Word forms
| comparative | more down-to-earth |
|---|---|
| superlative | most down-to-earth |
Common combinations
- down-to-earth person
- He's a down-to-earth person who listens carefully.
- down-to-earth approach
- The coach takes a down-to-earth approach.
- down-to-earth advice
- I appreciated her down-to-earth advice.
- refreshingly down-to-earth
- The star was refreshingly down-to-earth.
- down-to-earth style
- His down-to-earth style made him popular.
Synonyms and how they differ
- practical
- Practical stresses usefulness in action, while down-to-earth also describes a modest, natural personality.
- unpretentious
- Unpretentious focuses on not showing off, whereas down-to-earth adds good sense.
- sensible
- Sensible describes good judgment but not warmth or modesty.
- realistic
- Realistic focuses on accepting facts, rather than character.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: down-to-earth or down to earth (verb)?
down-to-earth vs down to earth (verb)
Written as three separate words, the phrase can mean landing; hyphenated it is an adjective for people.
Practice
Despite winning three awards, the chef is very ____ and still serves tables when the restaurant is busy.
Choose one answer.
Down-to-earth means modest and practical. Stuck-up is the opposite, and the other options do not describe a person's character this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “down-to-earth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.