down·right
ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt 
1
archaic
: straight down
2
: absolutely sense 1a
downright handsome
downright mean
3
obsolete
: forthright
Synonyms
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
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
The posts prompted several responses from some people, who noted that the act was downright disrespectful.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Thermal Long Johns $40 $29 Although the weather in Ireland was fairly mild, there were a few days when the blankets of wind buffeting the coast were downright frigid.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
The scene where the vehicle makes its on-screen debut in Christopher Nolan’s first Dark Knight trilogy film, Batman Begins, is downright exhilarating and not just because of Hans Zimmer’s score.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
Some are overhyped, others are downright ineffective, and still others carry harmful side effects.
—Jenny McCoy, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2024
Tickets to the Masters have always been difficult to obtain, but once fans get inside Augusta’s grounds, the free parking, $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches and complimentary pairings sheets are downright reasonable.
—Kevin Draper Doug Mills, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
But a storm front that is moving into Southern California on Friday night is expected to bring downright chilly temperatures throughout Los Angeles County, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Social media is a hub for home hacks, ranging from genius to downright questionable.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Just like the work they're based on, these shoes are a downright masterpiece.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
The vocal potency of McCrimmon’s belt whips the audience into a downright frenzy.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
The North Carolina Democrat spent the last year amassing 2.3 million followers on TikTok, leveraging the app to turn himself from a no-name first-term congressman to a downright internet celebrity.
—Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
While some of these complaints will mention downright fraudulent behavior, French points out that the industry’s problems start with its structure.
—Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
Plenty of other fans on social media were distraught over Hurts' decision to ditch his goatee, commenting everything from downright outrage to simply strings of crying emojis.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
The Hogan recruitment served as a capstone to months of quiet success for Mr. Daines and Senate Republicans, after more than a decade filled with recruiting disappointments, misfires and downright self-sabotage.
—Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Pimple Patches These pimple patches are a downright necessity in our house.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Address: 65 Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925
Glitterati
Bettie Page and Betty Draper fans will delight upon entering Glitterati—there’s a case of downright dazzling 1950s-era costume jewelry.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
The posts prompted several responses from some people, who noted that the act was downright disrespectful.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Thermal Long Johns $40 $29 Although the weather in Ireland was fairly mild, there were a few days when the blankets of wind buffeting the coast were downright frigid.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
The scene where the vehicle makes its on-screen debut in Christopher Nolan’s first Dark Knight trilogy film, Batman Begins, is downright exhilarating and not just because of Hans Zimmer’s score.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
Some are overhyped, others are downright ineffective, and still others carry harmful side effects.
—Jenny McCoy, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2024
Tickets to the Masters have always been difficult to obtain, but once fans get inside Augusta’s grounds, the free parking, $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches and complimentary pairings sheets are downright reasonable.
—Kevin Draper Doug Mills, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
But a storm front that is moving into Southern California on Friday night is expected to bring downright chilly temperatures throughout Los Angeles County, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Social media is a hub for home hacks, ranging from genius to downright questionable.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
Adjective
His 22 points per game since that point is downright pedestrian — more Cam Thomas and Kyle Kuzma than Dončić or LeBron.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024
Just like the work they're based on, these shoes are a downright masterpiece.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
The vocal potency of McCrimmon’s belt whips the audience into a downright frenzy.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
The North Carolina Democrat spent the last year amassing 2.3 million followers on TikTok, leveraging the app to turn himself from a no-name first-term congressman to a downright internet celebrity.
—Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
While some of these complaints will mention downright fraudulent behavior, French points out that the industry’s problems start with its structure.
—Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
Plenty of other fans on social media were distraught over Hurts' decision to ditch his goatee, commenting everything from downright outrage to simply strings of crying emojis.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
The Hogan recruitment served as a capstone to months of quiet success for Mr. Daines and Senate Republicans, after more than a decade filled with recruiting disappointments, misfires and downright self-sabotage.
—Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Pimple Patches These pimple patches are a downright necessity in our house.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downright.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near downright
Cite this Entry
“Downright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downright. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
downright
1 of 2 adverb
down·right
-ˌrīt
: in a complete and absolute manner
that was downright stupid
downright
2 of 2 adjective1
: absolute sense 3, utter
a downright lie
downrightly
adverb
downrightness
noun
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