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
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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
David Dickstein, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
While many dangerous plants are unlikely to appear in a flower garden, there are some weeds that produce beautiful flowers and tempting berries that may look right at home next to your camellias, but are downright deadly.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 10 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
For every place that greets visitors with warmth and joy, there are others where the welcome is cooler, guarded, or even downright unfriendly.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
While many dangerous plants are unlikely to appear in a flower garden, there are some weeds that produce beautiful flowers and tempting berries that may look right at home next to your camellias, but are downright deadly.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for downright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downright
Adjective
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Its ride came to an abrupt end when eventual state runner-up Green Mountain snubbed it in the second round.—
Alissa Noe,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
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Diplomatic missions around the world have previously burnt documents after abrupt closures or crisis situations.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the sheer relentlessness of its joke-cracking bodes well for future, riskier enterprises — as, for that matter, does the natural spark between Matarazzo’s repeatedly foiled would-be swagger and Giambrone’s disarming mama’s-boy act.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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This luminous pastel shade can be worn as a sheer, frosted finish or with a bit more pigment.—
Andrea Carbajal,
Glamour,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Chandran's skin, prepped by Joanna Czech with the Swiss Perfection collection, served as a flawless canvas for her makeup, composed of gorgeous shades of honey and brown that work with absolutely anything—but especially her gorgeous, green gown.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
15 Mar. 2026
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The packed house of metal fans absolutely ate up the all-too-short set of Sabbath material — consisting of six songs (one of which is really an intro/set-up for another) that ran some 50 minutes.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One of the skeletons had blunt force injuries to the skull from a sharp object, but it's not known what weapon could have caused the injuries.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
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Sahu is blunt about the competitive differentiation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The trial lasted several months, with the prosecution maintaining this charge despite the utter absurdity of the accusation and the evidence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The veteran punk band's set was utter chaos.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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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
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The ceremony Sunday was a long-in-coming coronation for Anderson, a San Fernando Valley native who made his first short at age 18 and has been one of America's most lionized filmmakers for decades.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
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On Kalshi, the biggest upset of Oscar night came in the short film category, where a tie was given a 1% of chance of paying off.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Expecting an absolute dogfight in this one, which is right up Hanover’s alley.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
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Just cultivating and just feeding that division and those just absolute silly fights.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Downright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downright. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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