simplesim‧ple /ˈsɪmpəl/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative simpler, superlative simplest) 
a simple but effective solution to the problem There is no simple answer to this question. I’m sure there’s a perfectly simple explanation.simple to use/make/operate etc Modern cameras are very simple to use.relatively/fairly/quite etc simple There are relatively simple exercises to build strength. We want to keep the costumes as simple as possible. We can’t pay people any more money until the company is more profitable. I’m afraid it’s as simple as that.► see thesaurus at easy2plain made in a plain style, without a lot of decoration or unnecessary things added: She dressed with simple elegance. simple but delicious food a building constructed in a simple classic style3only [usually before noun] used to emphasize that only one thing is involved: Completing the race is not just a simple matter of physical fitness. The simple fact is, he’s not very good at his job. Their motive was greed, pure and simple.4not having many parts made or built of only a few parts, and not having a complicated structure: It’s a very simple machine. They evolved from simple life forms that existed millions of years ago.5ordinary honest and ordinary and not special in any way: Joe was just a simple farmer.6grammar technical simple tenses are not formed with an auxiliary such as ‘have’ or ‘be’7the simple life life without too many possessions or modern machines, usually in the countryside8stupid [not before noun] someone who is simple is not very intelligent: I’m afraid Luke’s a bit simple.COLLOCATIONSadverbsvery/extremely/incredibly simple· I came up with a very simple answer to this problem.relatively/fairly/quite simple· The rules are quite simple.deceptively simple (=seeming simple, but in fact complicated or difficult)· It’s a deceptively simple idea, but it’s very difficult to put into practice.perfectly simple· Well? It’s a perfectly simple question.phrasessimple to use/make/operate etc· The machine is very simple to use.simple but effective· Any child’s behaviour can be improved by this simple but effective technique.keep something simple· Keep your explanation as simple as possible.
WORD ORIGINsimple
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French ‘plain, uncomplicated’, from Latin simplus, from sim- ‘one’ + -plus ‘multiplied by’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- simple organisms such as bacteria
- a simple black dress
- Billy was a very simple boy.
- Even the simple act of eating dinner together can make an evening special.
- He couldn't even answer very simple questions.
- His children find European numbering simpler than the Chinese system.
- I'm sure there's a perfectly simple explanation.
- I like this recipe because it's so simple.
- Many vegetarian meals are delicious and simple to prepare.
- Milk is cheap now for one simple reason: there's too much of it available.
- She drew us a simple map so that we wouldn't get lost.
- She liked the building's simple, clean lines.
- She wore a simple black dress.
- Speak slowly and use simple words so that everyone understands.
- The chicken was served with a simple cream sauce.
- The meal was simple, but delicious.
- The new photocopier is much simpler to use than the one we had before.
- The secret of successful dinner parties? Keep it simple.
- The tribes of Central New Guinea use very simple tools such as hammers and axes.
- There must be a perfectly simple explanation.
- In front a simple porch offered a spectacular vista of coconut-fringed beach, lagoon, and open sea beyond.
- Only the simpler, uglier land mine has shed more blood.
- Remember when packing was a simple exercise?
- Salads on the other hand, are simple, satisfying and sizable.
- The simple sieves we have been considering so far in this chapter are all examples of single-step selection.
- The above equation is the next simplest correction, using a non- unit power of the size attribute.
- To the simple call of justice, there are a number of possible objections.
THESAURUS
not difficult to do, and not needing much effort: · an easy task· The house was easy to find.
easy and not complicated – used about things such as instructions and explanations, or about machines and systems: · The system is relatively simple to operate.· a simple recipe for chocolate cake
easy to understand or do, and unlikely to cause you any problems: · a straightforward explanation· The calculation is fairly straightforward.
easy to use – used especially about computers or written information about how to do something: · Their website is very user-friendly.· a user-friendly guide to owning a dog
easy because it does not take a lot of effort: · It was an undemanding role for someone of his experience.
informal a cushy job is easy to do and needs very little effort – often used when you are envious of the person who has it: · It’s a pretty cushy job – all she has to do is drive a nice car around.· a cushy number (=a very easy job)
so easy that you can do it without thinking – used especially when it makes you feel bored: · mindless tasks
without any difficulties or problems – used especially when you expected something to be much worse: · Finding the carhire place at the airport was relatively painless.· Thankfully, there's a wide selection of search tools to make the task relatively painless.
British English, be smooth sailing American English to be easy and with no problems that you have to deal with: · Things should be plain sailing from now on.
without anything added, or without decoration: · a plain shirt· The fireplace was plain apart from a small design at the top.
not having a lot of decoration or unnecessary things, but attractive: · She was wearing a simple black dress.· The accommodation is simple but clean.
very plain and with very little decoration, or very little in it – used about a room or place that does not make you feel welcome: · He dreaded having dinner in that austere dining room.· The building was grey and a little austere.· the austere beauty and grandeur of mountain scenery
plain and without anything that would make life easier or more comfortable – used especially about rooms, conditions, or ways of living: · Her apartment is quite spartan.· They had a very spartan life.
very plain in a surprising way, with very little colour or decoration – used about rooms and places: · Sam sat looking at the stark white walls.· It is a landscape of stark beauty.
empty, or not covered by any decorations: · Her office seemed very bare now that her desk had gone.· He was tired of looking at the bare walls of his prison cell.
Longman Language Activatorwhen methods, systems, explanations, or words are not complicated not complicated, and therefore easy to understand: · Speak slowly and use simple words so that everyone understands.· His children find European numbering simpler than the Chinese system.· There must be a perfectly simple explanation.be simple to do something: · Many vegetarian meals are delicious and simple to prepare.keep/make something simple: · The secret of successful dinner parties? Keep it simple.
simple - use this especially about explanations, instructions, and methods which contain nothing difficult or unexpected: · The new networking system is fairly straightforward - you shouldn't have any problems.· There are two straightforward ways of achieving this result.
simple and without any unnecessary features that could cause problems or confuse you: · Tom can now carry out uncomplicated tasks without help.· There are several basic techniques to learn, but they are uncomplicated enough to be mastered in one session.
a method or process that is unsophisticated is very simple compared to the most modern ones: · It may be a pretty unsophisticated system, but it has worked well for over fifty years.· In comparison with modern methods, it seems an incredibly slow and unsophisticated way of making cars.
needing only simple skills or knowledge to do or understand: · She had difficulty with even the most elementary tasks.· an elementary course in word-processing
English that people can easily understand, without any difficult or confusing words: in plain English: · I wish they'd write in plain English, instead of all this business jargon.· 'The theory of informed consent'? What does that mean, in plain English?
a rough and ready system, calculation, way of doing something etc uses a quick, simple method but ignores small details and therefore does not produce a completely perfect result: · Here are my calculations. They're a little rough and ready as yet, but you'll get a general idea.· Justice was administered in a rough and ready fashion, without using courts or juries.
when machines or tools are not complicated a simple machine, tool etc has only a few parts and is not made in a complicated way: · The tribes of Central New Guinea use very simple tools such as hammers and axes.· Very young children will be satisfied with the simplest of toys.
basic machines, equipment, or tools only have the most necessary features and you cannot use them to do unusual, difficult, or complicated things: · The hospital lacked even the most basic medical equipment.· It's only six years old, but already my home PC is basic compared to today's models.
something that is crude has been made or done in a simple way, without paying much attention to unnecessary details or features: · The men started gathering wood to construct a crude shelter.· The earliest skis were crude, consisting of short boards covered in fur skins.a crude form of something: · Babbage's great calculating machine was a crude form of computer.
a tool or machine that is primitive is very simple when compared to modern tools or machines that do the same job, and is not as good: · In those days, dental equipment was primitive and a visit to the dentist was a painful experience.· It is a primitive but effective device for raising water from a well.· a primitive design
tools, machines etc that are rudimentary are very simple and are only able to do very simple jobs: · The tools that the ancient Egyptians used to build their temples were extremely rudimentary.· The system has a rudimentary Internet browser, but it's very slow.
tools or machines that are unsophisticated do not have many of the features that more modern or more advanced tools or machines have: · They still use some relatively unsophisticated machinery.· It may look unsophisticated compared to modern high-tech cameras, but it produces fantastic pictures.
equipment, vehicles, machines etc that are low-tech have a very simple design but this is often seen as an advantage because they are cheaper or more practical: · The company manufactures the low-tech parts in Mexico, and then assembles here. · He uses low-tech theatrical devices to great effect.
to make something simpler to make something simpler and easier to use or understand: · The government is planning to simplify the tax laws.· These gadgets do simplify food preparation, but are they really worth the money?
to make a method or system simpler, quicker, and usually cheaper - used especially in business contexts: · The new computer has made it possible to streamline our data processing operations.· The Cut and Paste command can be used to streamline the process of inserting information.
to make something seem simpler than it really is · There's a tendency in news reports to oversimplify complex issues to make the news more entertaining.· I know I'm oversimplifying, but these are the values on which I try to base my decisions.
an opinion or way of thinking about something that is simplistic treats difficult things in too simple a way: · a simplistic 'more is better' philosophybe simplistic to: · His critics say it may have been overly simplistic to use only two experimental methods. · It would be simplistic to suggest that the Bible promotes male domination.
also generalise British to say that something is true of all the people in a group simply because it is true of some of them: · I know I shouldn't generalize, but I do think men find it hard to show their feelings.generalize from: · The study group was very small, and it's hard to generalize from just a few cases.generalize about: · The polls show that it is difficult to generalize about which issues were most important to voters.
if someone sees things in black and white , they tend to judge people in a very simple way as being either completely bad or completely good, completely right or completely wrong etc: · My son sees life in black and white. To him, the world is full of greedy capitalists and underpaid workers.
not having a lot of decoration or things added: simple food, clothes, or designs do not have a lot of decoration or unnecessary things added, but they are usually attractive or enjoyable: · She wore a simple black dress.· The meal was simple, but delicious.
: plain food, clothes, or designs do not have anything added or any decoration, and may be a little boring: · He put the letter in a plain brown envelope.· Do you have any plain white shirts?· The chapel was a small, plain, white-washed building.
: basic food, rooms, or designs only have the necessary features, and do not include things that make them more comfortable, more attractive etc : · Some of the hotels in the mountains are pretty basic.· The basic model costs £30,000, which includes insurance and car tax.· basic cooking utensils
a room or building that is austere is not decorated, has very little and very plain furniture, and is usually uncomfortable: · Students ate in an austere hall built by New England Puritans.· The crematorium chapel was cold and austere.
spartan conditions or ways of living are simple and without any comfort: · The accommodation is pretty spartan, so take extra blankets and bedding.· It was a spartan existence, with no running water or electricity.
something, especially a room, that has a stark appearance has no decorations and looks uncomfortable: · The waiting room was stark, with hard, stiff chairs and lit by a single lightbulb.· stark chrome furniture
the attractive quality of being simple, and not having a lot of decoration or things added: · The jacket follows the lines of the body with graceful simplicity.· Van Gogh was attracted to the beauty and simplicity of a common table or kitchen chair.
informal plain or simple with nothing special or unnecessary added: · The Lodge is nothing fancy -- just a row of cottages huddled on the side of a hill overlooking the sea. · This was his favourite meal. Nothing fancy, just steak and salad.
a no-frills shop, restaurant, or service provides only the things that you really need and nothing else: · The meeting was held at a no-frills hotel 30 minutes from corporate headquarters. · Try the smaller, no-frills airlines for cheap late flights.
easy to do, use, or understand not difficult to do, use, or understand: · The questions were really easy.· It's an easy journey - we just drive to the station, then take the direct train to Paris.· Our new computer system should make the work a lot easier.easy to read/use/learn etc: · All the instructions are in large print to make them easy to read.it is easy to do something: · It is easy to see why she didn't marry him.easy for somebody to do something: · Was it easy for you to find a job?find something easy/find it easy to do something: · Susan's always found school work easy.· He doesn't find it easy to talk about his personal feelings.
easy not hard is more informal than not difficult: · "Did you make this pizza yourself?" "Yes, it's not difficult."it's not difficult to do something: · It's not difficult to see why she's unhappy all the time.· The reason for the problem is not hard to find.
easy to understand or do because it is not complicated - use this about things like explanations or instructions, or about machines or systems: · She drew us a simple map so that we wouldn't get lost.· I like this recipe because it's so simple.be simple to use/make/prepare etc: · The new photocopier is much simpler to use than the one we had before.
easy to understand and easy to do, so someone should not have any problems - use this especially about a method or process: · It is very straightforward - you just type the file name, then press 'Enter'.· There's a straightforward calculation for working out how much tax you have to pay.
spoken easy to use or understand - use this especially about computers or written information: · We are trying to develop software that is more user-friendly.· The booklet is intended to be a user-friendly guide to pension schemes.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadverbs Moore escaped by the simple expedient of lying down in a clump of grass. He is really quite a sensitive soul. Drop-down menus make the program very easy to use.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· I came up with a very simple answer to this problem.
· The rules are quite simple.
(=seeming simple, but in fact complicated or difficult)· It’s a deceptively simple idea, but it’s very difficult to put into practice.
· Well? It’s a perfectly simple question.
phrases· The machine is very simple to use.
· Any child’s behaviour can be improved by this simple but effective technique.
· Keep your explanation as simple as possible.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· There are a lot of problems and no simple answers.
· A simple calculation will show that these figures are incorrect.
· The gymnasium was opened in a simple ceremony on 26th May.
(=very obviously sensible)· Locking your doors at night is simple common sense.
· Cause and effect is a fairly simple concept.
(=one with only a few cells)· primitive creatures like bacteria
· The latest model of the car has a much simpler design.
· He invented a simple device for chopping onions.
Moore escaped by the simple expedient of lying down in a clump of grass. (=without anything added or without decoration)· He liked eating simple food, nothing spicy.
(=in which you do not have too many possessions or modern machines)· He admired the simple lifestyle of the islanders.
· We had very different lifestyles.
(=live in a particular way)· You can change your eating habits and lead a healthier lifestyle.
· I had enough money to live a lavish lifestyle.
(=a majority that has been won by most of the votes)· A simple majority of the people at the meeting were in favour of the changes.
(=something that is easy to do)· Putting together the bookcases is a fairly simple matter.
· a simple meal of soup and bread
· I like songs with a simple melody.
(=one that is not serious and is easy to correct)· It was a simple misunderstanding: I thought the meeting was on Wednesday, not Thursday.
· You cannot rate the project according to a simple notion of ‘value for money’: there are too many factors involved.
· You can easily reduce the risk of theft by taking a few simple precautions.
(=one that is easy to answer)· All you have to do is answer the three simple questions below.
(=one that is easy to understand)· I hate mobile phones, for the simple reason that it is now impossible to get away from them.
· The rules of the game are quite simple.
· There is no easy solution to this problem.
He is really quite a sensitive soul.· The children help with simple tasks like carrying in water or logs for the fire.
· He was a man of simple tastes (=liking simple things)
· It is amazing what a difference these simple techniques can make.
· Your doctor can give you a simple blood test to check for anaemia.
· He has some simple tips for saving money when you're at the supermarket.
(=the truth, with nothing added, left out, or hidden)· The simple truth is that there isn’t enough money to pay for it.
Drop-down menus make the program very easy to use.· If only it were as simple for military plutonium.· It is as simple as that.· Thus, removing Windows software is not as simple as yanking out that directory and the files it contains.· But then, it's not as simple as that.· Millions of vacationing seniors have discovered the answer to stress-free, economical travel is as simple as hopping on a bus.· But the situation isn't as simple as that.
· Some of the boats chiselled into the rocks are fairly simple.· Before, the choices were fairly simple: sheer nude or basic black.· Voice over It's fairly simple to spot the difference between the real thing and a fake.· It was fairly simple to devise an educational jump-start for her.· Although the optimum phase resistance can be calculated, in practice it is a fairly simple matter to determine the optimum experimentally.· Paul Collins's needs are fairly simple: paint and canvas.· The topological structure of the decision space can be quite complicated in even a fairly simple program.· It also would be fairly simple to operate, making it more likely that parents would use it.
· It was much simpler than that.· As we will see shortly, it is much simpler to assure ourselves of gains from trade if it is true.· It was much simpler four years ago.· It is much simpler and neater-though not necessarily cheaper-simply to start with raw sugar.· There is a much simpler explanation of the animal's behaviour.· I think the plot is much simpler.· Fortunately, there are animals in which the process is not only much simpler but can be observed directly.· Vivian may as well lose her wits; only something much simpler can help her.
· It was quite simple really - she wouldn't speak to him.· The choice of which method to use is actually quite simple.· Most ferreters today would use one of these locators and the procedure is quite simple.· The reason for this is quite simple.· But what it really means is quite simple.· Example B is still quite simple.· The intention is quite simple: to identify and match likely responders and users to the credit offering.
· Earlier releases of the software used two relatively simple ways to provide fault tolerance.· This scheme often works because users tend to choose relatively simple or familiar words as passwords.· What would the historian want from the relatively simple records of the water authority?· A schematic version of this relatively simple circuit is shown in Figure 9.2.· Before the landing, geologists thought Mars' crust was relatively simple, made up mostly of ordinary basaltic lava rock.· Although the concept of fund accounting is relatively simple, specific applications of it can be difficult to understand.· Although the puzzles are enjoyable, they are relatively simple to figure out, making the game short work for experienced gamers.
· Fishbase is so simple to operate that no documentation file has been considered necessary.· Something so simple and yet so complicated.· Things were never so simple and clear again.· It was all so simple, I nearly gagged for joy when this idea came to me.· It had all been so simple until now.· I bought them on the principle that anything so simple, however modest, would be unlikely to go wrong.· The cells of viruses are so simple, they hardly qualify as cells at all.· We are so simple sometimes, and fortified so strangely.
· Yet things are evidently not that simple.· Unfortunately, however, things are not quite that simple.· But of course it wasn't that simple.· But it isn't quite that simple.· Life just isn't that simple.· It's that simple. let's go back to my hotel and fool around.
· A modern multi-storey office block is a very simple design.· There are three very simple but profound advantages to a more casual style of dressing.· They take the user from very simple counting and progress to adding two numbers up to a total of 20.· These women ask for little and lead very simple lives.· Payback Payback is a very simple and useful method, and hence it is popular.· Now these were very simple men at least in our terms of culture, learning, and civilization.· I was asked particularly to notice the very simple but effective apparatus for raising the coaches.· Yet it is very simple to prepare and offers immense satisfaction for those who follow some simple guidelines.
NOUN· There is a short and simple answer to this question.· We persist in grasping at neat, simple answers, when we should be questioning everything.· The simple answer is, they do not.· There is, unfortunately, no simple answer, for our knowledge on the subject will always be limited.· The simple answer is - yes.· Absent a definitively superior or ideal network architecture, there is no simple answer.· This depends entirely on you and your children and there is no simple answer.· The simple answer, of course, is safety and quality of life.
· It would be nice if the two approaches met, but I fear this is true only in the simplest cases.· In the simple case of Tommy Termite, financial statements will be prepared directly from the general ledger accounts.· The finite element and dynamic stiffness methods are introduced and exemplified in simple cases.· In the simplest case, you may not be sure whether you should continue to turn up for work or not.· Faldo's disqualification was a simple case to administer.· Instead it's just a simple case of steering into the slides and normal service is resumed.· We now proceed to examine some simple cases.· Consider a simple case with only two molecules.
· In this simple example, there is an obvious resolution to the dilemma.· One simple example of the process would be estimating the height of a child by looking at the height of the parents.· Let us begin with the simplest example and argue from that.· Smith liked to use simple examples.· Here is a simple example of the complexity at issue.· A simple example will make the concept clearer.· Clause 7.4 of Precedent 3 is a simple example of such a clause.
· Now down into crawler gear he pushes on, finding regular protection by the simple expedient of removing most of the ice!· They divined the contents of sealed envelopes by the simple expedient of opening the staples at the other end of the envelope.· So he adopted the simple expedient of not opening it until it was beyond his power to act on it.· The Pearl has a 6,500-strong sales force which collects insurance premiums and arranges policies by the simple expedient of house-to-house calls.· Billy Bragg has the unusual gift of making other people's songs his own by the simple expedient of singing them.· And moral outrage at the use of simple expedients can still run high.
· The simple fact of the matter is this: Sparrows love cars.· That simple fact, which would appear to be self- evident, keeps surprising people.· This simple fact deprives you of most of the information you would normally have about the other person.· Intelligent water policies can be designed, but they must take into account the simple fact that this a desert.· The extent to which the Samoan squad has been turned upside down in recent seasons is illustrated by one simple fact.· I wanted to find the simple facts of her life.· One of his linguistics professors, a man named Samuel Goldstein, had helped him understand the consequences of that simple fact.· This simple fact was studiously ignored by ill-disposed critics, then and since.
· It is more important in simpler forms of learning such as skill learning when it usually means repetition.· Couples with no need to itemize deductions can use the 1040A, another relatively simple form.· White motion gives the simplest form of scaling noise.· At first glance, his trademark paintings and sculptures seem to be the simplest form of abstraction.· This is a simple form of learning.· This forced on builders a simple form of Gothic architecture.· We will also look at a simple form of self-massage to help banish cellulite.
· How simple life would be, if it was as simple as we think!· The illustrations are very engaging, where you can show your child the beauty of living a simple life.· He believed in the simple life and slept on a mattress on the floor.· A simple life, no one to worry about except yourself. --- Till you go and climb a water tower.· Coming from a group whose aim is the simpler life, such an entry into the market place raises some intriguing questions.· These women ask for little and lead very simple lives.
· Although the optimum phase resistance can be calculated, in practice it is a fairly simple matter to determine the optimum experimentally.· Washing her clothes was no simple matter with Hazel there.· As far as specific benefits are concerned, the removal of inequalities based on age would be technically a relatively simple matter.· It is a relatively simple matter to translate the structural possibilities of this model into ideal types of heroic action.· Yet defining capacity in banking is no simple matter.· It was a simple matter for Venus to bring about a meeting between the two.· To most Victorians, truth seemed a simple matter, only confused by people like Pontius Pilate, of conformity to facts.· Beyond that, however labor markets are no longer a simple matter of distinguishing between white and blue collars.
· You will hear two simple questions.· A simple question first: how do you know you are happy with this arrangement?· Are there any simple questions that can pick out an alcoholic?· A simple question requiring a long and thoughtful answer.· Pupils can continually be encouraged to ask simple questions to make this link.· A larger, more complicated set of questions then came to replace the first simple questions.
· For one very simple reason, my friend.· It is going to take off for the simple reason that everybody, with the fundamentalists in the lead, wants change.· It failed for the simple reason that no coherent principles or policies came forward to replace the old ones.· He built it for a very simple reason.· But there was a simpler reason than that: his hunch told him he was not in the mood for it.· Animals with warning colours on average live longer than those without, and there is a simple reason for this.
· You find yourself doing the strangest things that can only be because you are no longer capable of doing the simplest tasks.· Where keeping house and cooking were not female chores but simple tasks of pleasure and survival.· Handwashing seems such a simple task but in fact is a subject of surprising contention among health professionals.· People must sit in front of these computers constantly, poking and prodding to do even the simplest task.· They may become apathetic, unable to do even the simplest task.· It was no simple task to complete; one workman, thrown into the raging rapids below almost lost his life.· Voeller could not believe his luck and had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty goal.· Moving a carrier from one coast to another is no simple task, Roulstone said.
· We like simple things such as lamb and mashed potatoes.· Of course, complicated things consist of lots of simpler things.· Another problem is that the wildlife lobby is divided even over simple things like the future of old farm woodlands.· Four simple things, for example, can be combined in different ways to make twenty-four different complex things.· Why am I moved by such simple things?· Little things, simple things, like a passport with an eagle on the front cover.· Physics is the study of simple things that do not tempt us to invoke design.· They have a hard time learning even the simplest things.
· Even so, it took me till I got to my own house to realise the very simple truth.· The simple truths according to Marx and Lenin are now crowded by doubts.· No-one wanted to believe the simple truth.· The simple truth is you don't need to know that much to find your way around.· One of the simplest truths about history is that progress is not linear.· Certainly it misses the simple truth of patience.· John Arlott's armour was his honest thought and simple truth.· The simple truth is companies with large central data processing facilities will still need these unpleasant, draughty, noisy rooms.
· The simple way to make superb sauces.· It should be explained in a very simple way.· Earlier releases of the software used two relatively simple ways to provide fault tolerance.· There is a simple way of calculating your aerobic walking rate.· This leads to a simple way of stating the amount of distortion: as the ratio of harmonics to fundamental.· It shows us some simple ways in which we can all join the drive for a better environment.· Well, the simplest way, when it's feasible, is by direct observation.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be a different/tricky/simple etc proposition
- Coming from a group whose aim is the simpler life, such an entry into the market place raises some intriguing questions.
- He believed in the simple life and slept on a mattress on the floor.
- The motive for the robbery was greed, pure and simple.
- A gratuitous promise, pure and simple, remains unenforceable unless given under seal.
- But lineage pure and simple was not the only consideration.
- But more subtle problems remain-related to sexism, pure and simple.
- If they lived in the Middle East they were bad, pure and simple.
- The bottom line is in the ledger book, pure and simple.
- The first is pure and simple file transfer.
- The man wants revenge, pure and simple, and he's working logically through the family, saving Stone until last.
WORD FAMILYnounsimplicitysimplificationsimpletonadjectivesimplesimplisticadverbsimplysimplisticallyverbsimplify
1easy not difficult or complicated to do or understand: a simple but effective solution to the problem There is no simple answer to this question. I’m sure there’s a perfectly simple explanation.simple to use/make/operate etc Modern cameras are very simple to use.relatively/fairly/quite etc simple There are relatively simple exercises to build strength. We want to keep the costumes as simple as possible. We can’t pay people any more money until the company is more profitable. I’m afraid it’s as simple as that.► see thesaurus at easy2plain made in a plain style, without a lot of decoration or unnecessary things added: She dressed with simple elegance. simple but delicious food a building constructed in a simple classic style3only [usually before noun] used to emphasize that only one thing is involved: Completing the race is not just a simple matter of physical fitness. The simple fact is, he’s not very good at his job. Their motive was greed, pure and simple.4not having many parts made or built of only a few parts, and not having a complicated structure: It’s a very simple machine. They evolved from simple life forms that existed millions of years ago.5ordinary honest and ordinary and not special in any way: Joe was just a simple farmer.6grammar technical simple tenses are not formed with an auxiliary such as ‘have’ or ‘be’7the simple life life without too many possessions or modern machines, usually in the countryside8stupid [not before noun] someone who is simple is not very intelligent: I’m afraid Luke’s a bit simple.COLLOCATIONSadverbsvery/extremely/incredibly simple· I came up with a very simple answer to this problem.relatively/fairly/quite simple· The rules are quite simple.deceptively simple (=seeming simple, but in fact complicated or difficult)· It’s a deceptively simple idea, but it’s very difficult to put into practice.perfectly simple· Well? It’s a perfectly simple question.phrasessimple to use/make/operate etc· The machine is very simple to use.simple but effective· Any child’s behaviour can be improved by this simple but effective technique.keep something simple· Keep your explanation as simple as possible.