Englishcandid
adjective
1 his responses were remarkably candid:
frank, outspoken, forthright, blunt, open, honest, truthful, sincere, direct, straightforward, plain-spoken, bluff, unreserved, downright, not afraid to call a spade a spade, straight from the shoulder, unvarnished, bald;
heart-to-heart, intimate, personal, man-to-man, woman-to-woman;
informal upfront, on the level;
North American, informal on the up and up;
archaic round, free-spoken.
▷antonyms secretive, guarded, insincere.
| choose the right word | candid, frank, outspoken, forthright, blunt |
These words generally show admiration for openness and honesty, although this can be tinged with the feeling that some things are better concealed. They can all describe a person or the things they say or write. ■ A candid person keeps no secrets and does not gloss over distressing or discreditable facts (he was candid about the difficulties | the head of the information directorate said only that discussions had been candid). Such total openness is often welcome or unusual, as shown by the frequent accompanying use of refreshingly. ■ Frank, while very close in meaning to candid, suggests a greater bluntness and is more often used to describe painful or difficult revelations such as a confession or admission. It also suggests a down-to-earth openness on matters seen as sensitive or embarrassing (frank discussion of sexual matters). ■ Someone who is outspoken is unusually ready to risk unpopularity or even danger by expressing controversial opinions (an outspoken critic of the military). It is much more commonly used than the other four words to describe critics, advocates, opponents, criticism, politicians, and leaders. ■ Someone who is forthrightsays what they have to say, without fear or favor and in an uncompromising manner (a forthright rejection of the idea of electoral pacts). ■ Someone who is blunt may even take a perverse delight in mentioning sensitive issues or giving unwelcome news in an abrupt and unadorned way (to be blunt, a substantial majority of candidates are not fully literate | blunt warnings about the dangers of smoking). | |