adverb

frankly

frankly, honestly, candidly

Frankly, I think it's a bad idea.

Frankly, I think it's a bad idea.

She spoke frankly about her problems.

She spoke frankly about her problems.

frankly, ((clause)) used to introduce an honest opinion Frankly, I don't agree.

((verb)) frankly to do sth. in an honest way He spoke frankly about the situation.

Synonyms: honestly, candidly, openly; Antonyms: dishonestly, deceptively

From Old French 'franc' meaning 'free, sincere', related to the Germanic tribe of the Franks, who were the ruling class and thus 'free'.

Think of the phrase 'To be frank with you...', which is used to introduce a very honest, and perhaps unwelcome, opinion.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.