17 ADJ If trade or business is flat , it is slow and inactive, rather than busy and improving or increasing. □ Sales of big pickups were up 14% while car sales stayed flat.
18 ADJ If you describe something as flat , you mean that it is dull and not exciting or interesting. □ The past few days have seemed comparatively flat and empty.
19 ADJ You use flat to describe someone's voice when they are saying something without expressing any emotion. □ 'Whatever you say,' he said in a deadly flat voice. 'I'll sit here and wait.' □ Her voice was flat, with no question or hope in it. ● flat|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ 'I know you,' he said flatly, matter-of-fact, neutral in tone.
20 ADJ [n ADJ ] Flat is used after a letter representing a musical note to show that the note should be played or sung half a tone lower than the note which otherwise matches that letter. Flat is often represented by the symbol ♭ after the letter. □ …Schubert's B flat Piano Trio (Opus 99).
21 ADV [ADV after v] If someone sings flat or if a musical instrument is flat , their singing or the instrument is slightly lower in pitch than it should be. □ Her vocal range was limited, and she had a tendency to sing flat. ● ADJ Flat is also an adjective. □ He had been fired because his singing was flat.
22 PHRASE If you say that something is as flat as a pancake , you are emphasizing that it is completely flat. [EMPHASIS ] □ My home state of Illinois is flat as a pancake.
23 PHRASE If you fall flat on your face, you fall over. □ A man walked in off the street and fell flat on his face, unconscious.
24 PHRASE If an event or attempt falls flat or falls flat on its face , it is unsuccessful. □ Liz meant it as a joke but it fell flat. □ If it wasn't for the main actress, Ellen Barkin, the plot would have fallen flat on its face.
25 PHRASE If you say that you are flat broke , you mean that you have no money at all. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ Two years later he is flat broke and on the dole.
26 PHRASE If you do something flat out , you do it as fast or as hard as you can. □ Everyone is working flat out to try to trap those responsible. □ They hurtled across the line in a flat-out sprint.
27 PHRASE You use flat out to emphasize that something is completely the case. [mainly AM , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ That allegation is a flat-out lie.
28 PHRASE On the flat means on level ground. □ He had angina and was unable to walk for more than 200 yards on the flat. COLLOCATIONS flat NOUN 1
noun + flat : basement, studio
adjective + flat : high-rise, self-contained, two-bedroomed; empty, furnished
verb + flat : buy, let, rent, sublet
flat|bed /flæ tbed/ (flatbeds ) The form flatbed truck is also used, especially in American English. N‑COUNT [oft N n] A flatbed is a truck that has a long flat platform with no sides.
fla t ca p (flat caps ) N‑COUNT A flat cap is the same as a cloth cap . [mainly BRIT ]
flat|fish /flæ tf I ʃ/ (flatfish ) N‑VAR Flatfish are sea fish with flat wide bodies, for example plaice or sole.
fla t-foo ted
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ n, ADJ after v] If you are flat-footed , the arches of your feet are too low. □ He told me I was flat-footed.
2 ADJ [ADJ n, v-link ADJ , ADJ after v] If you describe a person or action as flat-footed , you think they are clumsy, awkward, or foolish. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …flat-footed writing. □ The government could be caught flat-footed.
flat|mate /flæ tme I t/ (flatmates ) also flat-mate N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] Someone's flatmate is a person who shares a flat with them. [BRIT ] in AM, use roommate
fla t pack (flat packs ) also flat-pack N‑COUNT [usu N n] Flat pack furniture is furniture such as shelves and cupboards which you buy as a number of separate pieces and assemble yourself. [BRIT ]
fla t rac|ing N‑UNCOUNT Flat racing is horse racing which does not involve jumping over fences.
flat|screen /flæ tskriːn/ (flatscreens ) ADJ A flatscreen television or computer monitor has a flat screen. □ They finally replaced their 40-year-old television with a flatscreen TV. ● N‑COUNT Flatscreen is also a noun. □ …a 42” digital flatscreen.
flat|ten /flæ t ə n/ (flattens , flattening , flattened )
1 VERB If you flatten something or if it flattens , it becomes flat or flatter. □ [V n] He carefully flattened the wrappers and put them between the leaves of his book. □ [V ] The dog's ears flattened slightly as Cook spoke his name. □ [V -ed] …the pitiful shacks built of cardboard boxes, corrugated iron sheets and flattened oil drums. ● PHRASAL VERB Flatten out means the same as flatten . □ [V P ] The hills flattened out just south of the mountain. □ [V n P ] Peel off the blackened skin, flatten the pepper out and trim it into edible pieces. [Also V P n]
2 VERB To flatten something such as a building, town, or plant means to destroy it by knocking it down or crushing it. □ [V n] …explosives capable of flattening a five-storey building. □ [V -ed] …areas of flattened corn.
3 VERB If you flatten yourself against something, you press yourself flat against it, for example to avoid getting in the way or being seen. □ [V pron-refl + against/on ] He flattened himself against a brick wall as I passed. [Also V pron-refl]