FRANKNESS Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

frankness

noun

Definition of frankness

as in honesty

the free expression of one's true feelings and opinions considering her reputation for frankness, I knew she would tell me what she really thought of my dress

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of frankness The novel, published in 1988, foreshadowed the career to come by taking on, with disarming frankness, everything from child abuse to transracial adoption. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 Horgan, whose Catastrophe charted the ups and downs of a relationship with painful, hilarious honesty, applies the same frankness to the minor indignities of midlife. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 And the frankness underlying their oddly dorky connection also paints any potential relationship between them as tragic from the jump. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026 Written with grimy, enlivening frankness — and an ability to dig into moral ambiguity — every character scrambles to get a leg up. — Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Gigot is not wrong that Druckenmiller’s frankness seems almost refreshing in a moment when so much of the writing world is stuck in denial. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 As for the universality of her hypnotic, soulful sound and her dynamic, jazzy mezzo-soprano voice, Kidjo’s singing in five languages (Fon, French, Yorùbá, Gen-Mina and English) has forever been key to the funk, its frankness and her grace. — A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026 In the case of non-professionals, especially children, generosity should prevail over frankness. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frankness

Noun

In a world that rewards keeping appearances, Space Afrika makes conveying honesty and vulnerability look easy.

— Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
But when customers already know something went wrong, an apology can signal warmth and honesty.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of honesty

Noun

Still, the sincerity matters, and so does the achievement of realizing something this strange with such conviction.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
After many fans online questioned the sincerity of Art of Play’s statement, Clarkson herself stepped back into the fray.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sincerity

Noun

Savio The Brazilian is still finding his feet but already feels like an important player, offering pace, directness and a willingness to take on his man — qualities lacking in many of his team-mates.

— Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Paul, meanwhile, was in a period of uncharacteristic autobiographical directness in his lyric-writing, documenting his grievances with his actor girlfriend Jane Asher while residing in her family’s London home.

— Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of directness

Noun

Casting Bill Burr — the stand-up, who in recent years has repeatedly gone viral for speaking hard truths right to people’s face with all the bluntness of his blue-collar Boston roots — was a whole other layer of wish fulfillment for Sorkin.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026
Still, everyone onstage seemed amused and accustomed to Lange’s bluntness.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bluntness

Noun

The reassuring finding, across the research represented in the room at the CIFAR workshop, is that candidness about uncertainty generally maintains or builds trust rather than erodes it.

— Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Lee told the Queen that her husband’s candidness has encouraged many to feel more comfortable with their own cancer journeys.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of candidness

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frankly

frankness

franks

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“Frankness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frankness. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of frankness

noun

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