forthrightness
Direct, honest speech
Forthrightness is the quality of being direct and honest in speech or manner, without evasion or concealment.
It implies a willingness to state uncomfortable truths plainly: I appreciated her forthrightness about the project's problems.
The word carries positive connotations—forthrightness is typically admired, even when the message is unwelcome.
Direct, unguarded honesty
- bluntnessFrank, unvarnished manner
- opennessQuality of being accessible
- sincerityHonest, unfeigned genuineness
- guilelessnessAbsence of cunning
plainspokenness · artlessness · ingenuousness · unpretentiousness · unaffectedness · genuineness · plain-speaking · outspokenness
Habit of not lying
- veracityConformity to fact
- sincerityHonest, unfeigned genuineness
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
- transparencyState of being see-through
trustworthiness · genuineness · reliability · uprightness · honor · integrity · probity · rectitude
Frank, unvarnished manner
- explicitnessQuality of being unambiguous
- clarityState of being understandable
- directnessQuality of being straightforward
- plainnessUnadorned, straightforward quality
conciseness · precision · matter-of-factness · unvarnished · unequivocal · no-nonsense · pointed · clear-cut
Moral soundness and consistency
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- moralityRight and wrong principles
decency · fairness · honor · conscience · responsibility · accountability · dependability · steadfastness
frankness
Direct, unguarded honesty
- bluntnessFrank, unvarnished manner
- opennessQuality of being accessible
- sincerityHonest, unfeigned genuineness
guilelessness · plainspokenness · artlessness · ingenuousness · unpretentiousness · unaffectedness · genuineness · plain-speaking · outspokenness · directness
truthfulness
Habit of not lying
- veracityConformity to fact
- sincerityHonest, unfeigned genuineness
- authenticityQuality of being genuine
transparency · trustworthiness · genuineness · reliability · uprightness · honor · integrity · probity · rectitude · truth-telling
bluntness
Frank, unvarnished manner
- explicitnessQuality of being unambiguous
- clarityState of being understandable
- directnessQuality of being straightforward
plainness · conciseness · precision · matter-of-factness · unvarnished · unequivocal · no-nonsense · pointed · clear-cut · terseness
integrity
Moral soundness and consistency
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
morality · decency · fairness · honor · conscience · responsibility · accountability · dependability · steadfastness · constancy
- assertivenessassertiveness, boldness, directness, speaking up, firmness
- Blunt honestyblunt, candid, direct, frank, honest
- candorfrankness, directness, bluntness, candor, openness
- Character Virtueshonesty, sincerity, authenticity, genuineness, candor
- disclosurerevealing, disclosing, disclosure, disclose, divulge
- honestyhonesty, truthfulness, candor, sincerity, dishonesty
forthrightnessdishonesty
Disposition toward falsehood
deceit · deceitfulness · mendacity · lying · duplicity
forthrightnessevasiveness
Tendency to avoid directness
indirectness · equivocation · circumlocution · obliqueness · prevarication
forthrightnesshypocrisy
Pretense of virtue
artifice · insincerity · disingenuousness · guile · craftiness
right, forthcoming, forth, forthright, straightforward, unforthcoming, straightforwardness, forthrightly