down-to-earth
- 1Practical and realistic, dealing with things sensibly and as they actually are.
The new manager took a down-to-earth approach, fixing small problems before chasing big goals.
He's down-to-earth about the risks and never promises more than the business can deliver.
Similarpractical, realistic, sensible, pragmatic, level-headed
Oppositeunrealistic, impractical, idealistic
- 2Ordinary and normal, with nothing unusual or special about it.
Viewers loved the show's down-to-earth families, who argued about bills and chores like everyone else.
After all the wild rumors, the real explanation turned out to be far more down-to-earth.
Similarordinary, normal, unpretentious, mundane
Oppositepretentious, extraordinary
Note
Ordinary can be neutral here, as in a far more down-to-earth explanation, or it can be praise: used of people, shows or brands, it credits them with seeming relatable rather than out of reach, the quality Carina Chocano, writing in Vanity Fair in 2020, called TikTok's most sought-after. Before a noun the phrase is hyphenated; after what it describes it is often left open, as in something more down to earth.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of down-to-earth apart? Answer 1 quick question from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.