plain-spoken


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Related to plain-spoken: plain-speaking

plain-spoken

or

plainspoken

adj
candid; frank; blunt
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

plain′-spo′ken



adj.
candid; frank; blunt.
[1670–80]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

plain-spoken

adjective blunt, direct, frank, straightforward, open, explicit, outright, outspoken, downright, candid, forthright, upfront (informal), unequivocal a plain-spoken man full of scorn for pomp and pretense
guarded, diplomatic, subtle, thoughtful, discreet, indirect, evasive, reticent, tactful
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations

plain-spoken

[ˈpleɪnˈspəʊkən] ADJfranco, llano
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

plain-spoken

[ˌpleɪnˈspəʊkn] adj (person) → franco/a, schietto/a; (criticism) → senza mezze parole
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

plain

(plein) adjective
1. simple or ordinary; without ornament or decoration. plain living; good, plain food.
2. easy to understand; clear. His words were quite plain.
3. absolutely open or honest, with no attempt to be tactful. I'll be quite plain with you; plain speaking.
4. obvious. It's plain (to see) you haven't been practising your music.
5. not pretty. a rather plain girl.
noun
1. a large flat level piece of land. the plains of central Canada.
2. a kind of knitting stitch.
ˈplainly adverb
ˈplainness noun
plain chocolate
dark chocolate not containing milk.
plain clothes ordinary clothes, not a uniform: Detectives usually wear plain clothes; adjective (etc)
a plain-clothes job.
plain sailing
progress without difficulty.
ˌplain-ˈspoken adjective
speaking honestly and candidly, not trying to be tactful. She is a very plain-spoken person who always says what she means.
in plain English
in simple words; clearly expressed. Would you mind explaining it in plain English?
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Yet the Italians are rather plain-spoken, and they recognize facts which our company manners at least do not admit the existence of.
What that mental attitude was capable of, in the way of an elegant, yet plain-spoken, and life-like delineation of men's moods and manners, as also in the way of determining those moods and manners themselves to all that was lively, unaffected, and harmonious, can be seen nowhere better than in Mr.
'But, my dear, I call that doting,' said my plain-spoken parent.
Barbara Bush was widely admired for her plain-spoken style and her advocacy for causes including literacy and AIDS awareness.
With that, the plain-spoken admiral indicated the USPACOM has supported extensive security cooperation activities with Taiwan, with the aim of improving the country's self-defense capabilities.
This first-person narration by a plain-spoken, straightforwardly masculine teen would be a good choice for reluctant male readers.--Walter Hogan.
"Nobody's done it like it Rick Perry's done it," Perry said Thursday evening in his closing statement, offering perhaps the most plain-spoken rationale yet for his candidacy, with its emphasis on his decades of executive experience.
Social Media 3.0: It's Easier Than You Think is a plain-spoken, no-nonsense guide to tapping into the power of social media for the benefit of one's business or nonprofit organization.
(And What if I Do?): Answers to All Your Questions About Plastic Surgery is a plain-spoken, no-nonsense guide by independent plastic surgery consultant Francesca Camp, M.S.W.
A no-nonsense, plain-spoken resource accessible to people of all financial skill and experience levels, The LGBT & Modern Family Money Manual is invaluable.
Spock's opposite was the plain-spoken, irascible Dr.
The book ends with a plain-spoken, fact filled chapter on whether foreign aid is the answer to getting poor and unstable countries on better footing, and what it takes in the author's opinion to create a useful foreign aid program.