Meanings
forthright1
comparative more forthright · superlative most forthright
- Straightforward; not evasive; candid and direct.
The witness was considered eminently credible thanks to her forthright answers.
Synonyms: out-front
- Frank, outspoken.
TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes was typically forthright in his criticism by claiming that Sunak had "blatantly failed" to cure "a growing tragedy", as "every single day, more and more families can't make ends meet".
2022 April 6, “Network News: Spring Statement: Sunak accused of making rail less competitive”, in RAIL, number 954, page 8 - archaicProceeding straight forth.
plural forthrights
- archaicA straight path.
Gonzalo: […]Here's a maze trod indeed / Through forth-rights and meanders !
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]
forthright2
comparative more forthright · superlative most forthright
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveStraightforward; not evasive; candid and direct.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivecharacterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
adverbdirectly and without evasion; not roundabout
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
forthright · adjective, noun
- Old Englishforþriht“direct, plain”
- Middle Englishforþright
- Englishforthright
From Middle English forþright, forþriʒt, forþriht, from Old English forþriht (“direct, plain”). By surface analysis, forth + right.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →forthright · adverb
- Old Englishforþrihte“straightway, at once, plainly”
- Middle Englishforthright
- Englishforthright
From Middle English forthright, forþriʒt, forthricte, from Old English forþrihte (“straightway, at once, plainly”), from forþriht + -e (“adverbial suffix”). By surface analysis, forth + right.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian прям, честен
- прям (prjam)straightforward; not evasive
- честен (česten)straightforward; not evasive
- откровен (otkroven)straightforward; not evasive
Czech přímý, otevřený
- přímýstraightforward; not evasive
- otevřenýstraightforward; not evasive
Dutch recht voor zijn raap, uitgesproken
- recht voor zijn raapstraightforward; not evasive
- uitgesprokenstraightforward; not evasive
French direct, sans hésitation
- directstraightforward; not evasive
- sans hésitationstraightforward; not evasive
- francfrank, outspoken
- directfrank, outspoken
German geradeaus, direkt
- geradeausstraightforward; not evasive
- direktstraightforward; not evasive
- unverblümtfrank, outspoken
Greek ειλικρινής, μετά παρρησίας
- ειλικρινής (eilikrinís)straightforward; not evasive
- μετά παρρησίας (metá parrisías)straightforward; not evasive
Italian schietto, diretto
- schiettostraightforward; not evasive
- direttostraightforward; not evasive
- schiettofrank, outspoken
- francofrank, outspoken
Slovak priamy, otvorný
- priamystraightforward; not evasive
- otvornýstraightforward; not evasive
Spanish franco, directo
- francostraightforward; not evasive
- directostraightforward; not evasive
Swedish rättfram, rak
- rättframstraightforward; not evasive
- rakstraightforward; not evasive
- rättframfrank, outspoken
- rakfrank, outspoken
Cite this entry
forthright. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forthright
“forthright.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forthright. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forthright,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forthright.
Source: forthright on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.