down·right
ˈdau̇n-ˌrīt 
1
archaic
: straight down
2
: absolutely sense 1a
downright handsome
downright mean
3
obsolete
: forthright
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
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2025
Because of its popularity, chasing has become downright dangerous, and for a number of reasons.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025
Since the injury to Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, there have been a myriad of lineup shuffles, potential signings, and downright insanity that has sprouted up across Red Sox nation.
—Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downright
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Adverb
Although Elden Ring is renowned for its community of elite gamers who routinely stream their downright ridiculous levels of skill, Nightreign’s systems can be more welcoming to casuals who might not otherwise have the ability (or frankly, the time) to get the most out of the original game.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2025
Because of its popularity, chasing has become downright dangerous, and for a number of reasons.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Adjective
Below, a few of my favorite books about bad mothering, from the benignly neglectful to the downright evil.
—Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025
Since the injury to Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, there have been a myriad of lineup shuffles, potential signings, and downright insanity that has sprouted up across Red Sox nation.
—Joey Copponi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downright
Cite this Entry
“Downright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downright. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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
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