Modest
Modest adjective - Not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness.
Usage example: appealingly modest about her success in the fashion industry
Plain is a synonym for modest in property topic. In some cases you can use "Plain" instead an adjective "Modest", when it comes to topics like simple, small, austere, lowly.
Plain
Plain adjective - Free from all additions or embellishment.
Usage example: just give us the plain facts and none of your snide comments
Modest is a synonym for plain in character trait topic. You can use "Modest" instead an adjective "Plain", if it concerns topics such as normal, ordinary, simple, unadorned.
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Alice, one of the maids, who sneers at the narrator's modest and plain underwear fits better.
Source: Literature / Rebecca -
She starts out as a commoner, with the associated plain clothes and modest appearance but becomes Progressively Prettier as the show goes on.
Source: Fanservice Pack -
Some are relatively modest: for instance, Shu's◊ are very neutral and plain, and appear to be simply for protection.
Source: Shoulders of Doom
Cite this Source
Plain and Modest. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/modest/plain
Modest & Plain. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/modest/plain>.
Plain or Modest. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/modest/plain.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "modest" and "plain" have occurred on timeline