Phrase guide

plain sailing

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: plane sailing
  • rhymes with -eɪlɪŋ

1

noun

Meaning 1

The navigation of waters free from hazards or unfavourable winds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Obsolete spelling of plane sailing (“a technique for navigation using the assumption that the journey occurs over a plane or flat surface rather than the actual curved surface of the Earth, which is sufficiently accurate over short distances”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, obsolete, uncountable

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something that is easy, simple, or straightforward; something that offers no difficulties or trouble.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: child's play, smooth sailing, walk in the park, bagatelle, waltz, breeze, cake and gingerbread, cakewalk, cinch, doddle, doss, duck soup, easy pickings, gimme, layup, low-hanging fruit, no-brainer, open and shut case, picnic, piece of cake, piece of piss, plain sailing, plane sailing, slam dunk, snap, walkover

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

easy unobstructed progress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • after we solved that problem the rest was plain sailing

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clear sailing, easy going

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: progress, progression, procession, advance, advancement, forward motion, onward motion

History

Etymology

From plain (adjective) + sailing. Sense 2 (“something that is easy, simple, or straightforward”) is attested slightly later than plain-sailing (adjective), and so could have been derived from it.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: sujuva purjehdus — navigation of waters free from hazards or unfavourable winds
  • Finnish: helppo homma — something that is easy, simple, or straightforward