What does "downright" mean?
Downright: In plain terms; without ceremony. We shall chide downright, id I longer stay. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.Without delay; at once; completely. [Obs.] She fell downright into a fit. Arbuthnot.
- 3.Plain; direct; unceremonious; blunt; positive; as, he spoke in his downright way. A man of plain, downright character. Sir W. Scott.
- 4.Open; artless; undisguised; absolute; unmixed; as, downright atheism. The downright impossibilities charged upon it. South. Gloomy fancies which in her amounted to downright insanity. Prescott. -- Down"right`ly, adv. -- Down"right`ness, n.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00