forthright

1 of 3

adjective

forth·​right ˈfȯrth-ˌrīt How to pronounce forthright (audio)
1
: free from ambiguity or evasiveness : going straight to the point
a forthright critic
was forthright in appraising the problem
2
: notably simple in style or quality
forthright furniture
3
archaic : proceeding straight on
forthrightly adverb
forthrightness noun

forthright

2 of 3

adverb

1
archaic
a
: directly forward
b
: without hesitation : frankly
2
archaic : at once

forthright

3 of 3

noun

archaic
: a straight path

Examples of forthright in a Sentence

Adjective she sometimes was a little too forthright for her own good and ended up saying things that inadvertently offended people I appreciate your forthright explanation of the situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The movie is still pretty fun, though, with a surprisingly forthright performance from Depp (who gets his rock-star rocks off) and some excellent supporting work from Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and especially Sacha Baron Cohen, who has a blast in his brief, grisly appearance. Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024 Other startups, like Perplexity, backed by Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, are more forthright about competing with Google. Richard Nieva, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 The president-elect is condemned by critics as a dangerous isolationist who emboldens strongmen and hailed by supporters as a forthright defender of American interests, and most observers at least agree that a second Trump era will be unpredictable. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 Likewise, McKenna’s voice continues to be forthright. Thomas Smith, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forthright 

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English forthriht, from forth + riht right

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of forthright was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near forthright

Cite this Entry

“Forthright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forthright. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

forthright

adjective
forth·​right
ˈfōrth-ˌrīt,
ˈfȯrth-
: going straight to the point clearly and firmly
a forthright answer
forthrightly adverb
forthrightness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on forthright

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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