plain-spoken
Americanadjective
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candid; frank; blunt.
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using simple, direct language.
a plain-spoken politician.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of plain-spoken
First recorded in 1670–80
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.
Known for his mischievous humour and charm but also for his occasional plain-spoken combativeness, Hockney enjoyed a wide circle of friends while remaining close to his parents, whom he painted in several memorable portraits.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
A simple line, but it brought the house down because of the plain-spoken truth Walz has swiftly become famous for.
From Salon • Aug. 7, 2024
The 60-year-old brings with him a folksy, plain-spoken and sharp-tongued approach to taking on the Republican opposition.
From BBC • Aug. 6, 2024
A Midwesterner by birth, born at midcentury, she is self-deprecating, plain-spoken and armed with a wicked gift for irony.
From New York Times • May 16, 2024
No sooner did she think of her dress than one of the housemaids, a short and plain-spoken girl whom everyone called Susan, came by the nursery with a message.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
