Dictionary

flatly en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈflætli/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *flataz Old Norse flatrbor. Middle English flat English flat Middle English -ly English -ly English flatly From flat + -ly.

Meanings

1. In a physically flat or level manner.
   • Rabbit country, the working man's uncultivable terrain. Half a mile away, square open patches of yellow sand flatly glittered, and far on the horizon cranes and vast silver cylinders stood about, ghostly shining inhabitants of the marsh. 1980, Margaret Drabble, The Middle Ground:
   • He bent over the old woman again, with his ear turned flatly to her lips and then to the region of her heart. 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 214:
2. In a definite manner; in a manner showing complete certainty.
   • In 2017 in Zimbabwe, a military takeover brought Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule to and end. But one of the leaders, Maj Gen Sibusiso Moyo, appeared on television at the time, flatly denying it was a military takeover. 2023 August 30, “Gabon coup: The latest in a serious of military takeovers on the continent”, in BBC:
   • It was an accusation that he flatly denied.
3. In a manner that shows no emotion.
   • "Sure you never heard of him?" he asked incredulously. "Never," I said flatly. 1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 119:
   • "It's barbarous, Norsus." "It's Rome," said the giant flatly. 1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 65:
   • He replied flatly to the policeman's questions.

Forms

Translations (22)

bg безстрастно (in a manner that shows no emotions) · bg категорично (in a manner showing complete certainty) · cs jednotvárně (in a manner that shows no emotions) · es en redondo (in a manner that shows no emotions) · cs rozhodně (in a manner showing complete certainty) · fi tunteettomasti (in a manner that shows no emotions) · cs chladně (in a manner that shows no emotions) · es categóricamente (in a manner showing complete certainty) · cs jednoznačně (in a manner showing complete certainty) · de emotionslos (in a manner that shows no emotions) · pl beznamiętnie (in a manner that shows no emotions) · cs bez zájmu (in a manner that shows no emotions) · bg решително (in a manner showing complete certainty) · cs nevzrušeně (in a manner that shows no emotions) · fi latteasti (in a manner that shows no emotions) · fi jyrkästi (in a manner showing complete certainty) · pt categoricamente (in a manner showing complete certainty) · es de plano (in a manner showing complete certainty) · pl kategorycznie (in a manner showing complete certainty) · de ausdruckslos (in a manner that shows no emotions) · de kategorisch (in a manner showing complete certainty) · cs kategoricky (in a manner showing complete certainty)