outspoken

adjective

ˌau̇t-ˈspō-kən How to pronounce outspoken (audio)
Definition of outspokennext
as in honest
free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions a newspaper columnist who has been very outspoken on a number of controversial issues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 outspoken Mahmoud Nabavian, an outspoken radical lawmaker, asked on X days before Khamenei’s funeral. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 Bottoms was outspoken after the FBI raided a Fulton County election hub earlier this year in an area part of the greater Atlanta metro area. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 July 2026 Over the past decade, Cain has emerged as an outspoken conservative, and has not shied away from criticizing Hollywood and going against the grain in the entertainment business. — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 The council member has been outspoken in defending the former city administrator’s past actions, suggesting that the matter could have been resolved without the administrator leaving his job. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for outspoken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outspoken
  1. honest
  2. candid
  3. frank
  4. vocal
  5. forthcoming
  6. forthright
Adjective
  • Choose one practical repair, one honest conversation, or one limit that makes home more livable.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
  • The Odyssey Pirate Scams Strike At Breakneck Speed The speed at which such threats emerged is hardly eyebrow-raising to be honest, after all the hype around The Odyssey had been building for quite a while.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • Providing candid, useful examples to follow One key to making these case studies useful is to be candid about the strengths and weaknesses of competing options for managing risk, including maintaining the status quo.
    — Joe Árvai, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Besides the matching outfits, the young princes radiate the same playful energy in their candid photos—taken in 1985 and 2017, respectively.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 22 July 2026
Definition of candid
Adjective
  • While the letter is amusing and frank, Kincaid is making a request that would have been ignored.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • On a special episode of the author’s The Rest Is History podcast, the two Toms unpack Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey — and also have a frank conversation about the consequences of sharing a name with someone very famous.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026
Definition of frank
Adjective
  • The former clerk has also been a vocal defender of Kansas City’s new congressional district, which Republicans redrew last year.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • Today, Hadley is a vocal advocate for survivors of domestic violence.
    — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of vocal
Adjective
  • Commissioners are also considering adding baseball fields as part of the redevelopment plan of Sports Park East, dependent on forthcoming community responses.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026
  • Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Atletico Madrid forward Ademola Lookman were consulted in the development process, and the pair are also set to wear the boots in the forthcoming season.
    — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of forthcoming
Adjective
  • Lorde’s and Parker’s letters are forthright and funny from the start, but the other writers are reticent and polite at first.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Americans heard much more forthright rationales from generals involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of forthright

Browse Nearby Words

outsmarts
outspoken
outspokenness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outspoken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outspoken. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on outspoken

Nglish: Translation of outspoken for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All