# flattened

/ˈfɫætənd/ (US) · /flˈætənd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/flattened
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. pressed flat

adjective · CEFR B2

made thin or level by being pressed down.

For teachers: having been made flat or level, typically through the application of pressure or force.

- The grass was flattened where the deer had been sleeping overnight.
- The rescue team searched through the flattened remains of the warehouse, which had collapsed during the peak of the hurricane.

### 2. lacking emotion or energy

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

describing a voice or feeling that has no energy, excitement, or variety.

For teachers: lacking in variation, spirit, or emotional inflection; often used to describe a dull or monotonous tone of voice.

- He spoke in a flattened voice, showing no emotion after the long day.
- Her flattened affect and lack of eye contact suggested she was still processing the shock of the recent events.

## Examples

- The heavy rain left the grass flattened against the ground.
- After the storm, we found several flattened cardboard boxes in the middle of the street.
- The landscape was a series of flattened hills and valleys, smoothed over centuries by the relentless movement of glacial ice during the last great cooling period.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.