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
  • That is also where the design's costs sit, and an honest account keeps them in view.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Amodei’s assessment of the dangers may be right or wrong, but an ad that grapples with those risks is arguably more honest than previous campaigns that present Claude as a tool for tinkerers and problem solvers.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 17 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
  • Which is why the delivery of a frank but highly articulate speech about desire, especially to the very person one desires, proves unbearably intense.
    — André Aciman, Literary Hub, 13 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 undulating synth lead seems tailored to mimic the tone and timbre of a classical Indian singer, a comparison borne out by the occasional flashes of vocal sample peeking through the mix.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026
  • The director largely utilizes Stewart’s vocal strengths in his projects.
    — Emma Urdangen, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of vocal
Adjective
  • More details about the RAISE US pilot are forthcoming, as the organization boosts its staffing in the state.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
  • Robbery charges related to the Nampa incident are forthcoming, Nampa police said.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 17 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 26 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 aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
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