down·right
ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt 
1
archaic
: straight down
2
: absolutely sense 1a
downright handsome
downright mean
3
obsolete
: forthright
Examples of downright in a Sentence
Adverb
The movie was downright stupid.
It's very difficult, if not downright impossible.
Adjective
rural folks are often known for their downright speech, as they are generally not ones to beat around the bush
that's a downright lie, and you know it
Recent Examples on the Web
James Mirtle, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Blue Owl has been downright explosive over the past half-decade or so, driving its top line from around $190 million in 2019 to $2.3 billion last year.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
To have a trans man in this role is both a meaningful reflection on what elements (and struggles) of manhood are learned and adopted, as well as a downright gut-busting parody of the type of bro-y teenager that usually appears in Hollywood’s teenage comedies.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downright
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Adverb
Bobby Orr’s feats as a defenseman, meanwhile, always seemed downright impossible, with 915 points in just 657 games, three Harts and eight Norris trophies.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Blue Owl has been downright explosive over the past half-decade or so, driving its top line from around $190 million in 2019 to $2.3 billion last year.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The ones who weren’t downright frauds were only cracked and wretched old women with delusions.
—Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
To have a trans man in this role is both a meaningful reflection on what elements (and struggles) of manhood are learned and adopted, as well as a downright gut-busting parody of the type of bro-y teenager that usually appears in Hollywood’s teenage comedies.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downright
Cite this Entry
“Downright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downright. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downright
1 of 2 adverb
down·right
-ˌrīt
: in a complete and absolute manner
that was downright stupid
downright
2 of 2 adjective1
: absolute sense 3, utter
a downright lie
downrightly
adverb
downrightness
noun
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