✅ Blunt describes a way of expressing yourself that is direct and often lacks tact (She gives very blunt advice).

✅ Forthright describes a way of expressing yourself that gets straight to the point in a frank and clear way (She was forthright about what she thought of the plan).

✅ Blunt and forthright both suggest expressing yourself without trying to soften what you’re saying, but blunt has a slightly more negative connotation, and emphasizes being thoughtless either on purpose or through a lack of knowledge (The coach was blunt but supportive of the players).

✅ Forthright emphasizes speaking your mind, and has a slightly more positive connotation (We need a forthright manager who won’t use a lot of jargon or hyperbole).

Write about a time you were forthright with someone with the help of Grammar Coach.

✅ Passionate describes feeling particularly strongly, either in general or about a specific thing (a passionate argument in favor of pineapple on pizza).

✅ Ardent describes something characterized by intense feeling, or being intensely interested in or very passionate about something (an ardent fan of pop music).

✅ Passionate and ardent both describe something that demonstrates or shows strong emotions (a passionate defense; an ardent promise).

✅ Of the two, ardent is more old-fashioned, and passionate is more commonly used.

If you’re an ardent fan of words, you should check out these synonyms!

✅ Enthusiastic describes being full of excitement or feeling intense interest in something (She was enthusiastic about seeing her favorite actor in a new film).

✅ Rhapsodic describes being incredibly excited, or feeling a very powerful sense of interest and enthusiasm (He was rhapsodic about getting the concert tickets).

✅ Both enthusiastic and rhapsodic describe being excited and interested in something, especially when that excitement influences the way you behave.

✅ Rhapsodic describes a more extreme excitement than enthusiastic, and the word itself can sound formal or old-fashioned.

Feeling rhapsodic over these synonyms is a sign of being a true word-nerd (and we love word-nerds!).