forthright

[ adjective noun fawrth-rahyt, fohrth-; adverb fawrth-rahyt, fohrth-, fawrth-rahyt, fohrth- ]

adjective

1. going straight to the point; frank; direct; outspoken:

   It's sometimes difficult to be forthright and not give offense.

2. proceeding in a straight course; direct; straightforward:

   a forthright glance.

adverb

1. straight or directly forward; in a direct or straightforward manner:

   He told us forthright just what his objections were.

2. straightaway; at once; immediately:

   He saw forthright that such an action was folly.

noun

1. Archaic. a straight course or path.

forthright

adjective

1. direct and outspoken

adverb

1. in a direct manner; frankly
2. at once

Derived Forms

• ˈforthˌrightness, noun

Other Words From

• forthrightness noun
• un·forthright adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of forthright¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English forthrihte. See forth, right

Example Sentences

She is as diffident and self-doubting as LuPone is fearless and forthright.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has been plainly irked by the Bezos-owned Post’s endorsements of his Democratic opponents Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, as well as its forthright coverage of his presidential policies.

From Los Angeles Times

Or take “Sorry Mom,” an almost uncomfortably forthright note to her mother about the let’s-call-it-scenic route Ballerini took to becoming “a woman that you’re proud of.”

From Los Angeles Times

Lord John Bird, the forthright founder of the Big Issue, has warned of decades of failed initiatives to tackle homelessness, but has nonetheless backed the prince's intervention.

From BBC

But the deeper lesson in both their stories, one that recurs time and again, is the essentiality of being forthright with the other person about one’s history and identity, personal and political.

From Salon

Related Words

• blunt
• candid
• categorical
• outspoken
• plainspoken
• sincere