outright

[adjective out-rahyt; adverb out-rahyt, -rahyt]

See more synonyms for outright on Thesaurus.com

adjective

complete or total: an outright loss.
downright or unqualified: an outright refusal.
without further payments due, restrictions, or qualifications: an outright sale of the car.

Archaic. directed straight out or on.

adverb

completely; entirely.
without restraint, reserve, or concealment; openly: Tell me outright what's bothering you.
at once; instantly: to be killed outright.
without further payments due, restrictions, or qualifications: to own the house outright.
Archaic. straight out or ahead; directly onward.

Origin of outright

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at out, right

Related formsout·right·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for outright on Thesaurus.com

5. downright, utterly, altogether, thoroughly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for outright

Contemporary Examples

We must not interpret gains as an outright victory—nothing could be more dangerous.
Millions Promised for Ebola Not Adding Up
Abby Haglage
November 25, 2014
Fiquet has been largely overlooked, if not outright disdained, by critics and art historians.
Sight Unseen: Cézanne’s Mysterious Wife
Lizzie Crocker
November 19, 2014
Inhofe is not just a climate-change denier; he is a warrior for corporate-funded half-truths and outright lies.
If You Think D.C. Is Awful Now, Wait Until Wednesday
Jonathan Alter
November 4, 2014
But the fun of reading Lennon is in his outright refusal to conform to expectations.
This Weeks Hot Reads: November 3, 2014
Nicholas Mancusi
November 3, 2014
For years, young voters in America have been unenthusiastic about, if not outright hostile toward, the GOP.
New Harvard Study Finds the Door to Millennial Vote Is Open to GOP
Kristen Soltis Anderson
October 30, 2014

Historical Examples

Why don't you say outright that you want me to marry Mabel Lanfarne?
The Eldest Son (Second Series Plays)
John Galsworthy
That thought has manned me and upheld me when anguish was near to slaying me outright.
The Shame of Motley
Raphael Sabatini
I refused him outright, and of course, he couldn't believe it.
We're Friends, Now
Henry Hasse
No wild hope of love would prevent him, now, from killing me outright.
Romance
Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer
You do that because you daren't say outright you mean to have everything your own way.
Red, White, Blue Socks. Part Second
Sarah L. Barrow

British Dictionary definitions for outright

outright

adjective (ˈaʊtˌraɪt) (prenominal)

without qualifications or limitationsoutright ownership
complete; totalan outright lie
straightforward; directan outright manner

adverb (ˌaʊtˈraɪt)

without restrictionsbuy outright
without reservation or concealmentask outright
instantlyhe was killed outright
obsolete straight ahead or out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for outright

adv.

c.1300, "completely, entirely; openly, directly; at once, without hesitation," from out (adv.) + right (adj.1)). Meaning "all at once" is attested from c.1600. As an adjective, "direct, downright," from 1530s.

outright

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Synonyms

Examples from the Web for outright

Contemporary Examples

We must not interpret gains as an outright victory—nothing could be more dangerous.

Fiquet has been largely overlooked, if not outright disdained, by critics and art historians.

Inhofe is not just a climate-change denier; he is a warrior for corporate-funded half-truths and outright lies.

But the fun of reading Lennon is in his outright refusal to conform to expectations.

For years, young voters in America have been unenthusiastic about, if not outright hostile toward, the GOP.

Historical Examples

Why don't you say outright that you want me to marry Mabel Lanfarne?

That thought has manned me and upheld me when anguish was near to slaying me outright.

I refused him outright, and of course, he couldn't believe it.

No wild hope of love would prevent him, now, from killing me outright.

You do that because you daren't say outright you mean to have everything your own way.

outright

Word Origin and History for outright

adv.

Origin of outright