Forthright

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːθˌɹaɪt/

Definitions

1. Direct and honest in manner or speech, saying what one thinks without concealment or evasion
2. Blunt and sincere in expression, offering one's opinions openly without any form of deceit or ambiguity
3. Straightforward and candid in both speech and behavior, providing thoughts transparently and without hesitation or subtlety

Etymology: Old English speakers built "forþriht" from "forþ" (forward, onward) and "riht" (straight, direct), so the word literally meant something like "straight forward." Its earliest sense was physical and spatial, describing a path or course that ran undeviatingly ahead. The adverbial form "forþrihte" meant "straightway, at once, plainly," and the two forms ran side by side for a time. The modern sense of frankness grew out of that sense of straightness. A person who speaks forthrightly is one whose words run directly to the point, without bends or evasions, which is exactly the image the old compound already carried. The English word "forth" in the compound still shows its original meaning of "forward," even though it has largely faded from everyday use in that role.

Synonyms: direct, honest, straightforward, blunt, candid

Antonyms: deceitful, dishonest, guarded, indirect, evasive