downright
Americanadjective
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thorough; absolute; out-and-out.
a downright falsehood.
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frankly direct; straightforward.
a downright person.
- Synonyms:
- blunt, frank, open, forthright, candid
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Archaic. directed straight downward.
a downright blow.
adverb
adjective
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frank or straightforward; blunt
downright speech
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archaic directed or pointing straight down
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of downright
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at down 1, right
Explanation
The adjective downright is used to emphasize something, or to mean "utterly." For example, you could say that your brother's loud and junky old car is a downright embarrassment. Downright works as an adjective or adverb, so you can describe your dad's brownies as downright delicious, your sister's terrible jokes as downright awful, or your loss of the spelling bee as a downright disgrace. In the thirteenth century, downright meant "straight down," but it had changed by 1300, to instead mean "thoroughly."
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.
Which is what makes this next part so terrifying for the rest of baseball: Despite all of their problems, the Dodgers aren’t just surviving—they are downright dominating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
A bowl of pantry pasta that might otherwise look a little lonely suddenly looks downright lavish when it’s surrounded by warm rolls, a dish of olive oil and a basket lined with a linen napkin.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The orchestra is huge, the musical invention, irresistible, and the sheer scale of orchestral writing is downright heroic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
"I've gotten used to it, but before, at the beginning, it was downright stressful."
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o’clock the very next day.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
