down-to-earth

[ doun-too-urth, -tuh- ]

adjective

1. practical and realistic:

   a down-to-earth person.

   Synonyms: pragmatic, sober, sensible, hardheaded

down-to-earth

adjective

1. sensible; practical; realistic

Word History and Origins

Origin of down-to-earth¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

In person, Ballerini is warm, chatty, slightly gossipy — a veteran star who has retained an essential down-to-earth quality but who also knows through experience how to create a sense of emotional intimacy with an interlocutor.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, with Season 5 underway, Gay is at a crossroads: Can she enjoy the fruits of her “Housewives” celebrity while also maintaining the down-to-earth appeal that made her a fan favorite?

From Los Angeles Times

Rose added that he knew Trump in the 1980s and “he was always a down-to-earth guy.”

From Los Angeles Times

In person, Smith was funny, self-deprecating and down-to-earth.

From Los Angeles Times

For decades, the competition between the “city by the bay” and its more down-to-earth neighbor centered on the region’s dueling professional football and Major League Baseball franchises.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hardheaded
• no-nonsense
• plainspoken
• pragmatic
• realistic
• sensible
• sober