downright
Americanadjective
-
thorough; absolute; out-and-out.
a downright falsehood.
-
frankly direct; straightforward.
a downright person.
- Synonyms:
- blunt, frank, open, forthright, candid
-
Archaic. directed straight downward.
a downright blow.
adverb
adjective
-
frank or straightforward; blunt
downright speech
-
archaic directed or pointing straight down
adverb
Other Word Forms
- downrightly adverb
- downrightness noun
Etymology
Origin of downright
Explanation
The adjective downright is used to emphasize something, or to mean "utterly." For example, you could say that your brother's loud and junky old car is a downright embarrassment. Downright works as an adjective or adverb, so you can describe your dad's brownies as downright delicious, your sister's terrible jokes as downright awful, or your loss of the spelling bee as a downright disgrace. In the thirteenth century, downright meant "straight down," but it had changed by 1300, to instead mean "thoroughly."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For skiers and snowboarders, feeling untracked, fresh powder underfoot goes beyond just being ideal—it’s the whole point, and it’s downright intoxicating.
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026
From the moment Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo met on Made in Chelsea, their relationship has played out in the public eye with audiences following everything - the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
The average price target of around $860, meanwhile, makes Morgan Stanley’s $775 call look downright bearish.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
Others are downright zany, like widening the foul lines in the outfield to create larger landing areas for doubles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
“But that’s no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors.”
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
