Word
outright
Phoneticsout·right, stress on the first syllable
/ˈaʊˈtɹaɪt/
Definitions
01completely or totally
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. completely or totally, often used when someone wins or when a statement is a lie.
adv. wholly or completely; used to emphasize the absolute nature of an action or state.
“The candidate won the election outright with sixty percent of the vote.”
“The proposal was rejected outright by the board, who felt the financial risks far outweighed any potential long-term benefits.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02immediately
C1 · Advanced Formal
adv. straight away or at once, without waiting.
adv. instantly or without delay; occurring at the moment of an event.
“The driver was killed outright in the terrible accident.”
“The impact was so severe that the structural supports failed outright, leaving no time for an emergency evacuation.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03openly and honestly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. clearly and directly, without trying to hide your true feelings.
adv. openly and without reservation or concealment.
Español:abiertamente
“I decided to tell him outright that I didn't like his idea.”
“Rather than hinting at her dissatisfaction, she stated her concerns outright during the staff meeting.”
Antonyms
04total or complete
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. total and complete, leaving no doubt.
adj. unqualified, absolute, or complete; typically used before a noun to provide emphasis.
Español:pleno
“The whole story was an outright lie from start to finish.”
“The investigation revealed that the company had committed an outright fraud against its investors over several years.”
05to release a player
C2 · Proficiency Sports Technical · American English
v. to release a sports player from their contract completely.
v. to release a player from a contract without any further conditions or obligations.
“The team decided to outright the veteran player after his performance declined.”
“Under the current league rules, the front office chose to outright the struggling pitcher to their minor league affiliate.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and usually appears in professional sports contexts.
Real-World Examples
“In later life he confessed that many of his international teammates were too self-obsessed to play as a team and even suggested that “one or two of them were outright snobs”.” “By 1896, the Strauses owned the store outright.” Etymology
From Middle English outright, equivalent to out + right.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
PHRASAL VERB
PREPOSITION
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/outright
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0