plain-spoken
Americanadjective
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candid; frank; blunt.
-
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.
Many of the AI country tunes tap into the genre's archetype of the lone cowboy: a rugged, taciturn, plain-spoken man who, above all, refuses to apologize for simply existing.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 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
In his candid, plain-spoken and gripping new memoir, Rushdie recalls the attempted assassination he survived in 2022 during a presentation about keeping the world’s writers safe from harm.
From New York Times • May 3, 2024
The gardener, a young, plain-spoken fellow, gestured toward his wheelbarrow.
From "The Interrupted Tale" 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.
