candid
/ˈkændɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkændɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkan-dəd/ (ame, mw)
candid — adjective
- candidpositive
- more candidcomparative
- most candidsuperlative
1. speaking honestly and directly about what you think or feel, especially when the
speaking honestly and directly about what you think or feel, especially when the truth may be difficult to hear or may upset someone.
The team leader asked for a candid assessment of the budget and warned everyone not to hide problems.
candid assessment — honest evaluation, even when the news is bad
Mei-Lin valued her friend's candid opinion about the dress though it was hard to hear.
During the job interview the candidate was refreshingly candid about the gaps in his technical skills.
Being candid with her doctor about drinking two glasses of wine nightly helped Yuki get proper treatment for her liver.
To be perfectly candid, the CEO told the board that the expansion plan was not ready and needed another year.
- frank
very similar in meaning but often gentler; 'frank' suggests simple honesty while 'candid' more strongly implies telling an unwelcome truth.
- forthright
more formal; emphasises a fearless readiness to state one's position without hesitation.
- blunt
stronger — describes someone who delivers the truth without softening it, which can come across as insensitive.
- outspoken
focuses on the willingness to speak freely about controversial topics, often in a public context.
文法句型
candid + about + topic
candid + with + person
to be candid (introductory fixed phrase)
candid + opinion/assessment/answer
用法筆記
Commonly paired with 'about' (the subject of honesty) and 'with' (the person addressed). The fixed phrase 'to be candid' or 'to be perfectly candid' lets the speaker signal that a frank, possibly unwelcome opinion is coming.
常見錯誤
2. describing a picture taken when the people in it are unaware of the camera and h
describing a picture taken when the people in it are unaware of the camera and have not been asked to pose, so the result looks natural and unstaged.
The bride's father preferred candid photographs to stiff studio portraits because they captured real laughter.
candid photographs — photos taken without the subject posing
A candid shot of Diego's grandmother laughing while she stirred stew was his favourite from the trip.
The photographer moved through the market and captured candid images of fishmongers too busy bargaining to notice the lens.
The school hired a photographer to take candid portraits of students for the yearbook, not formal headshots.
- spontaneous
broader — applies to any unplanned action or event, not just photography.
- natural
general term; not specific to the context of pictures taken without the subject's knowledge.
文法句型
candid + photograph/shot/portrait/image
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively before photography-related nouns such as 'photograph,' 'shot,' 'portrait,' or 'style.' It is a technical term in photography and journalism.
candid — noun
1. a photograph taken when the subjects are not aware of the camera, capturing them
a photograph taken when the subjects are not aware of the camera, capturing them in a natural and unstaged moment.
Ananya took a candid of her brother, laughing as a wave hit and never seeing the camera.
take a candid — common verb + noun collocation
The magazine printed a candid of the actress buying vegetables at a local market.
Lukas shoots only candids — unstaged photos of unaware people — because he wants real expressions, not fake smiles.
Elena found an old candid of her laughing with friends beside a lake, taken when nobody saw the camera.
At a good wedding, the photographer sneaks candids without interrupting the ceremony at all.
- snapshot
a general term for any informal photograph; a candid is a specific type of snapshot taken without the subject's knowledge.
- studio portrait
a formal, posed photograph taken in a controlled setting.
- staged photo
a picture whose subjects and setting were arranged in advance.
文法句型
take/get + a candid
a candid of + person
用法筆記
This noun is a shortening of 'candid photograph' and is most common in photography and journalism contexts. It works with 'take,' 'get,' 'shoot,' and 'print.'