Downright
Downright adjective - Being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner.
Usage example: rural folks are often known for their downright speech, as they are generally not ones to beat around the bush
Short
Short adjective - Being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner.
Usage example: I didn't mean to be so short with you by responding to your request with a snippy “I'm busy!”
Downright and short are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Downright" instead an adjective "Short".
Both words in one sentence
- Pintsized Powerhouse: Several female fighters are described as short or downright petite, yet are apparently no less effective for it.
Source: Literature / Gentleman Bastard -
Which is more than a little odd given that we'd already seen what they'll look like as adults; neither is short and adult Ben is downright huge.
Source: Teens Are Short - This short story, whilst not being as downright terrifying as some of the other things on here, may put you off of fried eggs for a while.
Source: Nightmare Fuel / Web Original
Cite this Source
Short and Downright. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 08, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/downright/short
Downright & Short. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/downright/short>.
Short or Downright. 2016. Accessed August 08, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/downright/short.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "downright" and "short" have occurred on timeline