outright

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

/ adjective ˈaʊtˌraɪt; adverb ˈaʊtˈraɪt, -ˌraɪt /

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.

Nearby words

Origin of outright

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

SYNONYMS FOR outright

5 downright, utterly, altogether, thoroughly.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR outright ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsout·right·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for outright

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
The German Company secured similar rights over the coastline of their district, and in 1890 bought it outright.
The Development of the European Nations, 1870-1914 (5th ed.)|John Holland Rose
The man is an outright thief, and the treaty rights of Monsieur Morrison are clear.
A Volunteer with Pike|Robert Ames Bennet
I said I would if I could, and so I will, by asking you outright, not by any other means.
Valerie|Frederick Marryat
It was the most conspicuous instance of outright and supreme heroism that Temple Camp had ever witnessed or known.
Tom Slade's Double Dare|Percy Keese Fitzhugh
Twelve hundred outright and three hundred extra if it took on and they ran it another year.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson

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

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

adjective

adverb

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of outright

Examples from the Web for outright

British Dictionary definitions for outright

outright

adjective (ˈaʊtˌraɪt) (prenominal)

adverb (ˌaʊtˈraɪt)

Word Origin and History for outright

outright