down·right
ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt 
1
archaic
: straight down
2
: absolutely sense 1a
downright handsome
downright mean
3
obsolete
: forthright
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
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Compared to Disney, which filled a convention hall at the Javits Center, and NBCUniversal, which took over Radio City Music Hall, Netflix’s presentation felt downright cozy.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 May 2025
Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025
Since the injury to Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, there have been a myriad of lineup shuffles, potential signings, and downright insanity that has sprouted up across Red Sox nation.
—Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downright
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adverb
Oilers’ power play comes up short The power play has been the Oilers’ bread and butter for so long, but it’s been inconsistent in the playoffs and downright nonexistent on the road.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Compared to Disney, which filled a convention hall at the Javits Center, and NBCUniversal, which took over Radio City Music Hall, Netflix’s presentation felt downright cozy.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 May 2025
Adjective
Below, a few of my favorite books about bad mothering, from the benignly neglectful to the downright evil.
—Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025
Since the injury to Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, there have been a myriad of lineup shuffles, potential signings, and downright insanity that has sprouted up across Red Sox nation.
—Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downright
Cite this Entry
“Downright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downright. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share