outright

1 of 2

adverb

out·​right ˌau̇t-ˈrīt 

1

: in entirety : completely

rejected the proposal outright

outright refuses to cooperate with law enforcement

—Tim Murphy

2

: on the spot : instantaneously

was killed outright

3

: without lien (see lien sense 1) or encumbrance (see encumbrance sense 2)

purchased the property outright for cash

4

: without restraint or reservation

laughed outright

cried outright

5

archaic : straight ahead : directly

outright

2 of 2

adjective

out·​right ˈau̇t-ˌrīt 

1

a

: being completely or exactly what is stated

an outright lie

b

: given without reservation

outright grants for research

c

: made without encumbrance or lien

an outright sale

2

archaic : proceeding directly onward

outrightly adverb

Synonyms

Adjective

• absolute
• all-out
• arrant
• blank
• blooming [chiefly British]
• bodacious [Southern & Midland]
• categorical
• categoric
• clean
• complete
• consummate
• crashing
• damn
• damned
• dead
• deadly
• definite
• downright
• dreadful
• fair
• flat
• flat-out
• out-and-out
• perfect
• plumb
• profound
• pure
• rank
• regular
• sheer
• simple
• stark
• stone
• straight-out
• thorough
• thoroughgoing
• total
• unadulterated
• unalloyed
• unconditional
• unmitigated
• unqualified
• utter
• very

Examples of outright in a Sentence

Adverb

She won the competition outright.

The painting is now owned outright by the museum.

Their house was destroyed outright by the fire.

I bought the car outright.

Adjective

I was surprised by their outright rejection of the idea.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Brendan Carr, the GOP commissioner often tipped as Trump’s likely pick for a new FCC chair, frequently decries the current rules as addressing a threat—providers outright blocking an app or hindering its performance—that no longer exists while giving the commission too much power over providers. —Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024

Yet while Bernal appeared to be Flick's first choice as pivot whenever not using two and the youngsters together, a serious ACL knock that Bernal picked up away at Rayo Vallecano resulted in Casado taking the vacant berth outright. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Adjective

Establish everyone’s goals ahead time so no one is disappointed. … and Find Out Their Worries In my experience, the top two concerns of new deer hunters are executing a quick, clean kill, and managing nerves around — or an outright fear of — handling firearms. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2024

The filing also discusses the company's strategic review process, which includes exploring potential business combinations, reverse mergers, or outright sales to enhance shareholder value. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Adjective

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

outright

1 of 2 adverb

out·​right (ˈ)au̇t-ˈrīt 

1

a

: in entirety : completely

sold outright

b

: without holding back

laughed outright

2

: on the spot : instantaneously

killed outright

outright

2 of 2 adjective

out·​right ˈau̇t-ˌrīt 

1

: being exactly what is stated

an outright lie

2

: given without restriction

an outright gift