outspoken
Americanadjective
-
uttered or expressed with frankness or without reserve.
outspoken criticism.
-
free or unreserved in speech.
- Antonyms:
- taciturn
verb
adjective
-
candid or bold in speech
-
said or expressed with candour or boldness
Synonym Usage
See frank 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of outspoken
Explanation
If you often freely speak your mind, people may say that you are outspoken. How people view that particular trait in you, however, will depend on whether they agree with what you have to say or not! Use the adjective outspoken to describe someone candid and blunt, one who is direct in manner or speech. If you are an outspoken advocate for arts education in schools, you probably attend lots of school board and community meetings trying to ensure that the board does not cut music and drama from the school curriculum. If you are an outspoken critic of the way your boss does his job, you may not have yours much longer!
Vocabulary lists containing outspoken
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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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.
Yiannopoulos was once regularly linked with the alt-right, a disparate group that is outspoken against political correctness and feminism, and which includes neo-Nazis and white supremacists among its ranks.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The outspoken progressive is seeking to temper some of the heat he delivered in the primary as he pivots to a general election and tries to court his skeptics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Ruffalo is also known for being an outspoken political progressive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
These unusually outspoken public comments reflect the strain on Russian officials and businessmen who have to navigate the damage to Russia’s economy caused by the war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Like my father, he was an outspoken opponent of the Taliban.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
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.
