What's the difference between downright and nous?

Downright


Definition:

  • (adv.) Straight down; perpendicularly.
  • (adv.) In plain terms; without ceremony.
  • (adv.) Without delay; at once; completely.
  • (a.) Plain; direct; unceremonious; blunt; positive; as, he spoke in his downright way.
  • (a.) Open; artless; undisguised; absolute; unmixed; as, downright atheism.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) In The Girl, the relationship moves from Pygmalion to Beauty and the Beast, before curdling into something more mutually destructive, if not downright abusive.
  • (2) Unfortunately, this explosion is mild compared with the number of myths, falsehoods and downright lies which have accompanied these ideas.
  • (3) It was ambitious, experimental and sometimes downright odd – but seductively, compulsively readable too.
  • (4) Patterson agrees that it’s all much more controlled now, but she also wonders whether at times the media can be too negative, doomy, and sometimes downright nasty.
  • (5) Indeed, such parochialism would be downright frowned upon by today's World Cup mentality, considering that both the official anthem and slogan this time round is the typically Fifa-ishly nonsensical, and distinctly Benetton-esque, "We Are One".
  • (6) And it means that if Labour were to win, Mr Brown would be very foolish, indeed downright wrong, to move Mr Darling.
  • (7) In excerpts of these videos I am shown making a series of glib, thoughtless and sometimes downright insulting comments”, Gruber told the committee.
  • (8) Because supply chains are so long and processors use subcontractors to supply meat when the volume of orders changes dramatically at short notice, it is all too easy for mislabelled, poorer quality, or downright fraudulent meat to be substituted for what is specified in big abattoirs and processing plants.
  • (9) They can look downright ladylike, even sexy, and this has caused the high street to go shorts-crazy.
  • (10) 8.24pm BST "The mood is downright miserable" – defense department education activity employee The Guardian's Ruth Spencer ( @ruths ) is in touch with federal workers affected by the shutdown.
  • (11) We do not claim an inch of land that does not belong to us, but we won’t give up any patch that is ours,” the newspaper said , adding: “China, of course, will not accept such downright political provocations.” The China Daily, Beijing’s English-language mouthpiece, claimed the “outrageously one-sided ruling” meant military confrontation in the region had become more likely.
  • (12) Though against Tampa Bay in the ALDS he was downright awful.
  • (13) In other words, it's hilarious to watch when sober, it's downright mindblowing if you're anything but.
  • (14) Of course the polarisation of old and young rests on a fallacy, if not a downright lie: that all young people possess perfect skin and gleaming hair, have non-stop sex, are bursting with energy and are never lonely.
  • (15) Evidence reveals, however, that our planet is an almost unimaginably complicated beast, which reacts to a dramatically changing climate in all manner of different ways; a few – like the aforementioned – straightforward and predictable; some surprising and others downright implausible.
  • (16) These can range from the well-established to the downright eccentric.
  • (17) Despite Downing Street's dismissal of the former president's claim, the conjunction is likely to feed the perceptions of some in China that western concern about human rights is at best selective and at worst downright hypocritical.
  • (18) Many millions of words have been spilt on the subject of the perfect cup of coffee, the vast proportion confusing or downright contradictory.
  • (19) 10.50pm BST 90+1 min: It's a measure of how downright German the Germans are that Manuel Neuer and his defenders were absolutely furious with each other for allowing Brazil to score that late goal.
  • (20) Whitehall eventually intervened, with a government inspector ruling: "Any system of control must make some small place for the dynamic, the unexpected, the downright quirky."

Nous


Definition:

  • (n.) Intellect; understanding; talent; -- used humorously.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) He offered up a further example of his lack of economic nous: his failure to notice that the Sun had not paid him for his column for 18 months.
  • (2) Up the hill, the prince was trying out his schoolboy French – " C'est un honneur pour nous d'être parmi vous … merci votre patience avec mon accent " – and was cheered for doing so.
  • (3) Steven Gerrard has neither the discipline or the tactical nous to play as a defensive midfielder, they said; and yet here he is having one of the best seasons of his career, inspiring all around him.
  • (4) They were able to present him with a thriving youth system, a new state-of-the-art training ground, boardroom nous, a strong recruitment team and the basis of a good squad.
  • (5) Nous sommes tous Français (We are all French).” By contrast, Hollande said that Trump’s excesses “make you want to retch” .
  • (6) Housing associations’ commercial nous and social entrepreneurship has delivered billions of pounds worth of housing.
  • (7) The favoured chant of the day is " On est chez nous! "
  • (8) We’ve got to look to kick on next season.” One definite arrival is the Belgian forward Divock Origi but, aged 20 and having competed in only two full seasons for Lille, he is another who cannot be asked to add nous immediately.
  • (9) It seemed only a matter of time before the close control and deft passing of the Spain forward set up a colleague with a scoring opportunity, yet in the absence of Agüero and Edin Dzeko City seemed to lack anyone with the nous to find the space Silva was looking to exploit.
  • (10) She revels in her naivete, as though by admitting her lack of City nous she is proving she is on the side of the people in the great battle between the pinstripes and the proles.
  • (11) By contrast, Rosneft is seen as bureaucratic, inefficient and lacking commercial nous.
  • (12) Growing up in Pretoria, the son of a Canadian mother and South African father, he taught himself coding and software, mixing geek talent with business nous: he designed and sold a video game, Blastar, by the age of 12.
  • (13) He was widely regarded as having the right experience, deft touch and nous to navigate the shoals and shifting currents of continental politics that would buffet the British ship of state as it left its European berth.
  • (14) The film kind of dupes us into finding Elle every bit as silly and superficial as her peers do, before revealing her whip-smart legal nous and steely sense of integrity (feminist).
  • (15) The Villa manager, who admitted Liverpool had "too much nous and experience for us", felt his side were "sloppy" in the second half, when Guzan made flying saves to repel efforts from Glen Johnson and Jonjo Shelvey and Suárez hit the woodwork twice.
  • (16) She has smart commercial nous but has also overseen Sky improve its public service credentials.
  • (17) Mr Allardyce reportedly impressed the FA with his sophisticated take on sport psychology and has a tactical nous sure to surprise, especially following Roy Hodgson.
  • (18) Zuma has regained it but now he will need the tactical nous to deal with the fallout," he said.
  • (19) Sayida Ounissi (@SaidaOunissi) Nous n'avons pas peur.
  • (20) Jenna Lyon at the J.Crew headquarters in New York Photograph: Danielle Levitt J Crew's USP is fashion nous mixed with accessibility – a relatively basic flowered T-shirt with high-waisted denim shorts, or a single-breasted navy blue blazer worn cape-style.