How do you use the word "downright" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "downright": The girl was not downright homely. That movie's downright dirty.

Downright Meaning

/ˈdaʊnɹaɪt/

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

advCompletely, wholly.

advOf acts or speech: directly and unambiguously; clearly, plainly.

Sentence Examples

The girl was not downright homely.

That movie's downright dirty.

But that's... downright disgusting. Why isn't anybody doing something against that?

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

complete honest rank

Antonyms:

dishonest incomplete

CEFR Practice Quiz

The accusation was a ____ fabrication of the truth.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The girl was not ____ homely.

Word Origin & History

The adverb is derived from Middle English dounright, dounriȝt (“right down, straight down; face down; vertically; used for emphasis: outright, downright”), and then either: * possibly an aphetic form of adounright (“straight down; directly, immediately (?)”), from adoun (“downward”, adverb) (from Old English adūn, adūne (“down, downward”, adverb), ultimately from dūn (“hill, mountain”), from Proto-West Germanic *dūnā, *dūnu (“hill; sand dune”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“haze, mist; smoke”)) + right (“direct; straight; etc.”, adjective) (from Old English riht (“straight; etc.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to straighten”)); or * from doun (“down, downward; etc.”, adverb) (from Old English dūne (“down”), ultimately from dūn (“hill, mountain”): see above) + right. By surface analysis, down (adverb) + right (adjective). The adjective and noun are derived from the adverb. Noun sense 1 (“low grade of wool”) may be from the obsolete adjective sense 2.2 (“in its most basic form; ordinary”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"VVe vvere deſcried, theyle mock vs novv dounright." — c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], signature H3, recto:

"VVhat then are thoſe monſtrous Extravagancies in your deportment to all perſons of vvhat quality ſoever? […] VVhich bold and impudent cuſtome, unleſs you vvere dovvn-right mad, you could never have taken up of your ſelves. VVherefore certainly ſome very vvaggiſh Maſter of the Ceremonies has taught you this ill manners, like him that inſtructed the Sheriff to keep on his Hat vvhen he accoſted the King." — 1664, H[enry] More, “[The Apology of Dr. Henry More, […].] Chapter X.”, in Synopsis Prophetica; or, The Second Part of the Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniquity: […], London: […] James Flesher, for William Morden […], →OCLC, page 562:

"Familiar! Madam, in Troth he's dovvn-right rude." — 1716 March 21 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], The Drummer; or, The Haunted House. A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 1716 (indicated as 1715), →OCLC, Act I, page 8:

"If my friend had not given me the hint, damn me if I ſhou'd not think her dovvn right angry." — 1787 February 10 (first performance), [Elizabeth] Inchbald, Such Things Are; […], London: […] G[eorge] G[eorge] J[ohn] and J. Robinson, […], published 1788, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 47:

"The pure Drummond product, the four-cylinder 4-6-0 as built for the London & South Western, was a less successful design, and some of the specimens were downright bad." — 1955 January, John W. Grant, “The Scottish Contribution”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 49:

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