Downright — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective /ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt/ down·right

Meaning & Definition of Downright

Downright (adverb)

  1. straight down
  2. absolutely
  3. forthright

Downright (adjective)

  1. directed vertically downward
  2. outright, thorough
  3. plain, blunt

Downright (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious
    related: gruff, rough, snappish, candid, direct, forthright, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, point-blank, straightforward, straight-out, artless, discourteous, disrespectful, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, insensitive, rude, tactless, undiplomatic, brief, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, terse, tight-lipped, earnest, honest, sincere, coarse, crass, crude, low, uncouth, vulgar
    opposite: circuitous, mealymouthed
    near: civil, considerate, courteous, diplomatic, gracious, polite, politic, smooth, suave, tactful, loquacious, talkative, voluble, long-winded, prolix, verbose, courtly, cultivated, gallant, genteel, polished, refined

  2. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "that's a downright lie, and you know it"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

Downright (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in absolutely, plain

    similar: absolutely, categorically, cold, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially, abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly
    opposite: half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Downright

The most common words with a similar meaning to Downright:

Chiefly British: blooming
Southern & Midland: bodacious
Chiefly dialect: plumb
abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious, absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Downright

Words with the opposite meaning of Downright:

circuitous, mealymouthed, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat

Related Words for Downright

gruff, rough, snappish, candid, direct, forthright, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, outspoken, plainspoken, point-blank, straightforward, artless, discourteous, disrespectful, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, insensitive, rude, tactless, undiplomatic, brief, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, terse

Near Antonyms of Downright

civil, considerate, courteous, diplomatic, gracious, polite, politic, smooth, suave, tactful, loquacious, talkative, voluble, long-winded, prolix, verbose, courtly, cultivated, gallant, genteel, polished, refined, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

Word Forms of Downright

Derived words: downrightly (adverb), downrightness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Downright

First known use: 13th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Downright

What does "Downright" mean?

"Downright" means straight down. As an an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: straight down. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Downright"?

Other words for "Downright" include abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, short and short-spoken. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Downright" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Downright"?

There are 170 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Downright". Common alternatives include abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, short, short-spoken, snippy and unceremonious.

What is the opposite of "Downright"?

Antonyms of "Downright" include circuitous, mealymouthed, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially and partly. Near antonyms include civil, considerate, courteous and diplomatic.

How do you use "Downright" in a sentence?

Examples of "Downright" in a sentence: "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".

Is "Downright" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Downright" can be used as an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Downright"?

"Downright" is pronounced /ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt/ and divided into syllables as down·right.

What is the origin of the word "Downright"?

First known use: 13th century.