down-to-earth
UK[ˌdaʊn tə ˈɜːθ]US[ˌdaʊn tə ˈɜːrθ]
adj
practical, realistic, and not pretentious.
Morpheme Breakdown
down
to
earth
down
downwards
to
towards
earth
ground
Etymology
the compound adjective 'down-to-earth' is a relatively modern english formation, emerging in the early 20th century. it is a vivid metaphorical extension of the literal phrase describing something or someone connected to the ground. the 'earth' element evokes solidity, fundamentality, and the absence of airy abstraction, while 'down-to' emphasizes a direct, grounded connection. thus, the phrase logically evolved from a physical description to characterize a person's sensible, unpretentious, and pragmatic nature, in contrast to being 'up in the clouds' with unrealistic ideas.
Analysis
Structure: down (downwards) + to (towards) + earth (ground)
down (old english, adverb meaning 'from a higher to a lower position'); to (old english, preposition indicating direction or contact); earth (old english, noun meaning 'ground, soil, the world').
Examples
she's a very down-to-earth manager who listens to her team's concerns.
his down-to-earth advice was exactly what i needed in that confusing situation.
despite her fame, the actress has remained remarkably down-to-earth.