forthright
UK /ˈfɔːθˌɹaɪt/ · US /ˈfɔɹθˌɹaɪt/ adjective, noun, adverb
Forms forthrights
- adjective Straightforward; not evasive; candid and direct. “The witness was considered eminently credible thanks to her forthright answers.”
- adjective Frank, outspoken.
- adjective Markedly simple.
- adjective Fixed; settled; decided.
- adjective (archaic) Proceeding straight forth.
- noun (archaic) A straight path.
- adverb Expressly, frankly, unhesitatingly.
- adverb At once, forthwith.
- adverb Swiftly.
- adverb (archaic) Straight forward, in a straight direction.
Synonyms
out-front blunt candid frank free-spoken outspoken plainspoken point-blank straight-from-the-shoulder squarely forthrightly
Etymology
From Middle English forþright, forþriʒt, forþriht, from Old English forþriht (“direct, plain”). By surface analysis, forth + right.
From Middle English forthright, forþriʒt, forthricte, from Old English forþrihte (“straightway, at once, plainly”), from forþriht + -e (“adverbial suffix”). By surface analysis, forth + right.
Webster’s 1913
- adverb Straight forward; in a straight direction. [Archaic] Sir P. Sidney.
- adjective Direct; straightforward; as, a forthright man. [Archaic]
- noun A straight path. [Archaic]
Etymology [Forth, adv. + right, adv.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “forthright”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details