1
as in abrupt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
rural folks are often known for their downright speech, as they are generally not ones to beat around the bush
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
that's a downright lie, and you know it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in absolutely
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of downright
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2025
College football can get downright petty at times.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Those latter prices look downright thrifty in comparison.
—New Atlas, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downright
Adjective
Duncan in particular seems to get turned around a lot, and HBO’s final trailer promises plenty of action and, yes, some drama, but compared with the War Show vibe of the original GoT trailer, this is a downright comedy.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2025
College football can get downright petty at times.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Adverb
Some were downright sinister; others piously refused to look women in the eye.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Those latter prices look downright thrifty in comparison.
—New Atlas, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downright
Adjective
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An abrupt shut-in causes fines migration — when tiny particles of rock and clay within the porous materials become dislodged, settle, and severely plug the pore throats near the wellbore.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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But her rocket-like ascent came to an abrupt – and almost final – stop at her very next World Cup event.—
Gawon Bae,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If the success of a party is measured by the sheer volume of sequins, few could compete with the Conservative Action Political Conference.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
At various crucial points in the journey, the crew expects to lose contact with mission control because of the sheer distance and physics involved with the flight.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Those undeserving objects of their contempt absolutely ought to be afforded such minimal dividing space.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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But if your current option is overpriced cable or slower DSL, 5G home internet is absolutely worth considering.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
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Zhao is blunt that AI in health care will only work if clinicians buy in.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After letting the final Bosnian penalty slip under his reach on Tuesday, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remained on his knees, putting his hands on his head in utter disbelief.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The animals can recover from their cold-stunned state.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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All told, the five sites collected 5,195 dead or cold-stunned iguanas.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi Even if not a huge art buff, take the five minutes to wander to the Contarelli chapel inside this small catholic church which is just a short stroll from the Pantheon.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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That’s why Mack is reluctant to hazard a guess as to how many more wins this could mean this season for the Royals, who are seeking to get back to the postseason after falling short last year in the wake of their 2024 breakthrough.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Unfortunately, Omnissa’s data didn’t detail exactly how many crashes both Windows and Mac computers suffered in absolute terms, only that Windows came in behind Macs.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
28 Mar. 2026
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Despite absolute rulership always resting with the ayatollah, Iran has some functioning republican institutions, including presidential elections.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downright. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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