downright

American  

[doun-rahyt] / ˈdaʊnˌraɪt /

adjective

1. thorough; absolute; out-and-out.

   a downright falsehood.

2. frankly direct; straightforward.

   a downright person.

   Synonyms:

   blunt, frank, open, forthright, candid

3. Archaic. directed straight downward.

   a downright blow.

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adverb

1. completely or thoroughly.

   I'm not just upset—I'm downright angry.

downright British  

/ ˈdaʊnˌraɪt /

adjective

1. frank or straightforward; blunt

   downright speech

2. archaic directed or pointing straight down

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adverb

1. (intensifier)

   a downright certainty

   downright rude

Other Word Forms

• downrightly adverb
• downrightness noun

Etymology

Origin of downright

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; down ¹, right

Example Sentences

One season without a trophy is major woe for Guardiola and City, two would be downright unthinkable.

From BBC

It could be argued that the Surrealist impulse—primitive, mysterious, downright weird—isn’t modern but as old as art itself.

From The Wall Street Journal

The cautious, if not downright gloomy, outlook by leaders and engineers of humanoid robot companies stands in contrast to forecasts made by some of the biggest names in technology.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Stokes' men have been careless, loose and downright dopey.

From BBC

And in a season already heavy with sugar, that kind of thoughtfulness can feel downright luxurious.

From Salon

Related Words

• damned
• outright