outright
/ˌaʊtˈraɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌaʊtˈraɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌau̇t-ˈrīt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈaʊtraɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈaʊtraɪt/ (ame, ipa)
outright — adverb
1. in a way that is total and leaves no room for doubt or change — for example, rej
in a way that is total and leaves no room for doubt or change — for example, rejecting a proposal completely, or dying at the very moment of an accident
Keiko's proposal was rejected outright by the committee after only ten minutes.
passive: be rejected outright by [person/group]
The shop owner refused outright to give Jamal a refund for the damaged jacket.
Two children from Ingrid's village died outright when the old bridge collapsed.
Priyanka denied outright that she had shared the report with anyone outside the team.
The mayor called for fireworks to be banned outright across the whole city.
- completely
more general and neutral; lacks the sense of finality
- utterly
more formal; typically used with negative outcomes
- instantly
covers only the immediacy meaning, not the completeness meaning
- flatly
used specifically for refusals and denials; suggests blunt speech
文法句型
verb + outright
verb + outright + that-clause
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs of rejection, denial, prohibition, or death (reject, refuse, deny, ban, kill, die). When the meaning is 'immediately', it almost always describes death or destruction.
常見錯誤
2. by paying the full price at one time rather than spreading the cost over months
by paying the full price at one time rather than spreading the cost over months or years
Tomás decided to buy the used motorcycle outright instead of taking out a loan.
buy [something] outright — pay the full price at once
Zainab paid for her new laptop outright with money she had saved from work.
The couple purchased their first home outright after selling the family business.
Minh's grandparents bought the farmland outright forty years ago for very little.
The gallery acquired the painting outright at auction without any outside funding.
- in installments
paying in smaller amounts over time
- on credit
buying now but paying later
文法句型
buy/pay/purchase + outright
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively with verbs of buying and selling (buy, purchase, pay, acquire, sell, own). Distinguish from adverb sense 1 (COMPLETELY OR AT ONCE): this sense applies only to financial transactions where full payment is made at one time.
常見錯誤
outright — adjective
- outrightpositive
- more outrightcomparative
- most outrightsuperlative
1. complete and total, without any limits, exceptions, or doubts — for example, an
complete and total, without any limits, exceptions, or doubts — for example, an outright lie, or an outright majority in a vote
Hana's claim that she had never met the man was an outright lie.
outright + noun: outright lie
The referee's decision caused outright anger among the home team's supporters.
Kwame won an outright majority in the student council election last spring.
There was no outright winner in the talent contest; the judges called it a tie.
The new policy was met with outright refusal from every department head.
文法句型
outright + noun
用法筆記
Always comes before the noun it modifies. Common with nouns expressing strong negative judgments or clear outcomes (lie, hostility, refusal, majority, winner).