downright

/ˌdaʊnˈraɪt/

/ˈdaʊnraɪt/

Other forms: downrightly

The adjective downright is used to emphasize something, or to mean "utterly." For example, you could say that your brother's loud and junky old car is a downright embarrassment.

Downright works as an adjective or adverb, so you can describe your dad's brownies as downright delicious, your sister's terrible jokes as downright awful, or your loss of the spelling bee as a downright disgrace. In the thirteenth century, downright meant "straight down," but it had changed by 1300, to instead mean "thoroughly."

Definitions of downright

1. adjective

   complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
   “a downright lie”

   synonyms: absolute, out-and-out, rank, right-down, sheer

   complete

   having every necessary or normal part or component or step
2. adverb

   thoroughgoing
   “he is downright dishonest”
3. adjective

   characterized by plain blunt honesty
   “a downright answer”

   “a downright kind of person”

   synonyms:

   honest, honorable

   not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent