CANDIDNESS Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

candidness

noun

Definition of candidness

as in honesty

the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions candidness is something that we claim to admire—except when we are on the receiving end of a brutally honest assessment

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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.

Recent Examples of candidness The reassuring finding, across the research represented in the room at the CIFAR workshop, is that candidness about uncertainty generally maintains or builds trust rather than erodes it. — Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 Lee told the Queen that her husband’s candidness has encouraged many to feel more comfortable with their own cancer journeys. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 19 Aug. 2026 In conversation, Friedland is rapaciously curious, if slightly disorganized, prone to tangents that lead to a candidness that can verge on cringe or awkward. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026 On May 29, Behar and her cohosts on The View reflected on recent comments from Rosie O'Donnell's about her facelift, praising her candidness. — Staff Author, InStyle, 29 May 2026 Some athletes early in this era proved that charisma and candidness coupled with their athletic skills could be highly lucrative. — Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026 The duo have become known for their candidness and light-hearted humor, frequently letting viewers in on the chaos of their real lives. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026 The title and author are set large in a text weight of Didot, echoing the candidness of the photo and the material. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025 Angela’s candidness on the season gave viewers a glimpse into her relationship with Charles, including the aftermath of the 2017 incident at Madison Square Garden and accusations of infidelity. — MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for candidness

Noun

But both share a simple honesty and embrace the utilitarian rather than making any pretentious claims to luxury.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of honesty

Noun

But when the lines between sincerity and cynicism are so blurred, does intention even matter?

— Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
The first half of the film is on the dull side, featuring lots of footage of Fielder and Holmes staring at each other, unblinking, in an attempt to convince each other of their sincerity.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of sincerity

Noun

Lin is known in town to be incredibly fair, but at times obtuse in his frankness.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
The novel, published in 1988, foreshadowed the career to come by taking on, with disarming frankness, everything from child abuse to transracial adoption.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of frankness

Noun

Such candor matters as capital pivots from training AI models toward inference, the computing that puts them to work for customers.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Franklyn and her then-best friend and roommate, Cooper, started the podcast in 2018 and quickly turned the show — celebrated for its raunch and candor about modern dating — into a million-listener hit.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of candor

Noun

Savio The Brazilian is still finding his feet but already feels like an important player, offering pace, directness and a willingness to take on his man — qualities lacking in many of his team-mates.

— Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Paul, meanwhile, was in a period of uncharacteristic autobiographical directness in his lyric-writing, documenting his grievances with his actor girlfriend Jane Asher while residing in her family’s London home.

— Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of directness

Noun

Casting Bill Burr — the stand-up, who in recent years has repeatedly gone viral for speaking hard truths right to people’s face with all the bluntness of his blue-collar Boston roots — was a whole other layer of wish fulfillment for Sorkin.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026
Still, everyone onstage seemed amused and accustomed to Lange’s bluntness.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bluntness

Browse Nearby Words

candidly

candidness

candied

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“Candidness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/candidness. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of candidness

noun

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