flatline: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, Medical (literal); Journalistic/Figurative (extended)
Quick answer
What does “flatline” mean?
To show no electrical activity on a heart monitor (electrocardiogram), indicating cardiac arrest and death.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To show no electrical activity on a heart monitor (electrocardiogram), indicating cardiac arrest and death; a state of zero activity or response.
Used figuratively to describe any activity, metric, or signal that has fallen to and remains at zero, indicating failure, death, or complete inactivity (e.g., a company's profits, a TV show's ratings, brain function).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both use the term similarly in medical and figurative contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, the literal medical sense carries grave seriousness. Figuratively, it is vivid and often dramatic.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties in figurative use. The medical term is standard in both.
Grammar
How to Use “flatline” in a Sentence
Subject (intransitive): The patient flatlined.Subject + Prepositional Phrase: Sales flatlined at zero for months.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “flatline” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient flatlined at 03:42 hours.
- Viewer numbers for the programme have flatlined.
American English
- The show flatlined in the ratings after the first season.
- His heart flatlined for two minutes before they revived him.
adjective
British English
- The flatline EEG was a concerning sign.
- We're looking at flatline growth for the foreseeable future.
American English
- The stock chart showed a flatline trend.
- The flatline response from the audience was disheartening.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Profits flatlined this quarter, worrying investors.
Academic
The study's data suggests cognitive function flatlined under the experimental condition.
Everyday
My phone battery flatlined right when I needed the map.
Technical
The patient's ECG showed a flatline, confirming asystole.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “flatline”
- Using it as a positive (e.g., 'Our stability flatlined' – incorrect, implies failure).
- Using it for a temporary dip (it implies sustained zero).
- Misspelling as two words: 'flat line' (noun is often one word, verb is one word).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While it originated there, its figurative use to mean 'fall to and remain at zero activity' is now very common in business, media, and general language.
Yes. As a noun: 'The monitor showed a flatline.' As a verb (most common): 'The economy flatlined.'
No. 'Stabilise' is neutral or positive, meaning to become steady. 'Flatline' is negative, meaning to become steady at zero or a very low, lifeless level.
The noun form referring to the medical reading is often written as one word ('flatline'), especially in figurative uses. The two-word version 'flat line' is sometimes used literally to describe the visual graph.
To show no electrical activity on a heart monitor (electrocardiogram), indicating cardiac arrest and death.
Flatline is usually informal, medical (literal); journalistic/figurative (extended) in register.
Flatline: in British English it is pronounced /ˈflæt.laɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈflæt.laɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “flatline on the table (medical)”
- “flatline in the polls (political)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FLAT LINE on a heart monitor screen - it means no ups and downs, no life, no activity.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/ACTIVITY IS A HEARTBEAT (represented by a line on a monitor). DEATH/INACTIVITY IS A FLAT LINE.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'flatline' used CORRECTLY?