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
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2024
Mardi Gras started here in 1703—the country’s first—and carries on today with rollicking (yet downright family-friendly) parades where floats toss out, among other trinkets and treats, MoonPies.
—Regan Stephens, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2024
There are 12 different accommodations available, from the entry-level Wae Rana Suite to a downright lavish three-bedroom mansion.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
But as the series continued to pump out installments across multiple decades, the artistry and imagination of Toho’s creative team brought the art of analog effects to exciting — and sometimes downright beautiful — heights.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
This can result in blunt plans that to many seem downright ugly.
—Bill Kearney, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Moreover, if applying expected value thinking to aid is dodgy, applying it to the remote future gets downright supervillainous.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
Standing alongside industry best character creators like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3, the depth of the creator can be downright overwhelming, but affords dedicated players the opportunity to sculpt wildly specific features.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
This turns a fast meal into an instant one, and a comforting dish into a downright cheering one.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 20 Mar. 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
The mood inside the locker room was downright festive ... for good reason.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2024
Mardi Gras started here in 1703—the country’s first—and carries on today with rollicking (yet downright family-friendly) parades where floats toss out, among other trinkets and treats, MoonPies.
—Regan Stephens, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2024
There are 12 different accommodations available, from the entry-level Wae Rana Suite to a downright lavish three-bedroom mansion.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
But as the series continued to pump out installments across multiple decades, the artistry and imagination of Toho’s creative team brought the art of analog effects to exciting — and sometimes downright beautiful — heights.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
This can result in blunt plans that to many seem downright ugly.
—Bill Kearney, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Moreover, if applying expected value thinking to aid is dodgy, applying it to the remote future gets downright supervillainous.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
Standing alongside industry best character creators like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3, the depth of the creator can be downright overwhelming, but affords dedicated players the opportunity to sculpt wildly specific features.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
This turns a fast meal into an instant one, and a comforting dish into a downright cheering one.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 20 Mar. 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 18 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share