ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flatly

adv.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfɫætɫi// UK //flˈætli// flat·ly

adv. in a way that shows you are not interested or do not believe what someone is saying. You use this when you want to show you are being very direct and serious.

adv. in a manner that indicates a lack of interest, belief, or emotion. Often used to describe a tone of voice or a facial expression.


SIMPLE

He answered my question flatly.

CONTEXTUAL

She looked at him flatly when he tried to explain why he was late for the meeting.

COMPLEX

The witness responded to the prosecutor's aggressive questioning with a flatly dismissive attitude, refusing to provide any further details about the incident.

Synonyms

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