Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sensible and practical; having a realistic and unpretentious attitude: Describes a person, approach, or idea that is grounded in reality, straightforward, and not influenced by fantasy, excessive emotion, or pretension.

Usage

• The adjective "down-to-earth" is used to describe a person's character or a way of thinking and behaving. It is almost always used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be" or "seem"). It conveys a positive quality of reliability and lack of affectation.

Examples

• Attributive use (before a noun):
  • She has a down-to-earth approach to problem-solving.
  • We need a down-to-earth plan that we can actually implement.
• Predicative use (after a linking verb):
  • Despite his fame, he is very down-to-earth.
  • Her advice is always so down-to-earth and useful.

Advanced Usage

• "down-to-earthness" (noun, informal): The quality of being down-to-earth.
  • I appreciate his down-to-earthness in a world full of pretense.
• Used to contrast with abstract or impractical ideas:
  • The professor's theory was complex, but her explanation was wonderfully down-to-earth.

Variants and Related Words

• Earthy (adj): Can be similar to "down-to-earth" in meaning "direct and unpretentious," though it can also refer to a coarse or rustic quality.
• Pragmatic (adj): Dealing with things sensibly and realistically based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
• No-nonsense (adj): Simple, straightforward, and serious about getting things done.

Synonyms

• Practical
• Sensible
• Realistic
• Unpretentious
• Matter-of-fact

Antonyms

• Impractical
• Idealistic
• Pretentious
• Fanciful
• Flighty

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Keep one's feet on the ground: An idiom with a very similar meaning to being down-to-earth; to be practical and sensible.
  • Even after winning the lottery, she kept her feet on the ground.
• Both feet on the ground: Describes a person who is down-to-earth.
  • You can trust his judgment; he's a man with both feet on the ground.

Adjective

1. sensible and practical
   • has a straightforward down-to-earth approach to a problem
   • her earthy common sense