frankly
adverb
Simple meaning
Usually in a way that may seem too open, too honest, or slightly blunt.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
frangkleeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈfɹæŋkli
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
In a frank or candid manner, especially in a way that may seem too open, excessively honest, or slightly blunt.
sentence adverb
In truth, to tell the truth.
sciencesmedicine
To a degree large enough as to be plainly evident.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: In a frank or candid manner, especially in a way that may seem too open, excessively honest, or slightly blunt.
Used this way, frankly is a reasonably familiar word that can pull warm or cold depending on the sentence. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It turns up most in ethics or values contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Mixed
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Direct, sometimes tactless
- Usage feel
- Blunt and forceful
Where it naturally appears
- Ethics/values
Usage note
The same wording can read approvingly or critically, so the surrounding sentence has to make the intent clear.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: in a frank or candid manner
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.