downright

1 of 2

adverb

down·​right ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt 

1

archaic : straight down

2

: absolutely sense 1a

downright handsome

downright mean

3

obsolete : forthright

downright

2 of 2

adjective

1

archaic : directed vertically downward

2

: outright, thorough

a downright lie

3

: plain, blunt

stories he had heard of her downright tongue

—Angus Wilson

downrightly adverb

downrightness noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• abrupt
• bluff
• blunt
• brusque
• brusk
• crusty
• curt
• short
• short-spoken
• snippy
• unceremonious

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

Adverb

Depending on your preferred airport or airline, the state of flying today can feel downright shabby. —Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2024

Strout’s reflections on life and the significance of storytelling are downright profound. —Rachel Flynn, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024

Adjective

For female presidential candidates, food was believed to be a downright liability. —Meghan McCarron, Bon Appétit, 29 Oct. 2024

Sometimes, the tactics car salespeople use go beyond just the hard sell to the downright deceptive. —Whizy Kim, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

downright

1 of 2 adverb

down·​right -ˌrīt 

: in a complete and absolute manner

that was downright stupid

downright

2 of 2 adjective

1

: absolute sense 3, utter

a downright lie

2

: outspoken, blunt

downright country people

downrightly adverb

downrightness noun