Hello! Today’s word of the day is candid. Just like the words “can” and “did” put together – CAN-did.
We usually use this adjective to describe words – a candid statement, candid comments, a candid opinion. And describing someone’s words as candid means that they say honestly and directly what they really think, especially when their opinion is somewhat negative. But when you speak candidly, you express those honest negative words without trying to hide it with some positivity.
Let’s say my sister wrote a book that I thought was pretty bad, and she asks me what I think of it. If I give her candid feedback, then I would tell her that – I thought the story didn’t make sense, and the characters were shallow. I’m telling her my negative opinion honestly, without adding extra compliments or positive words to try to make her feel better.
Usually when someone speaks candidly, they’re not trying to be mean or nasty; they’re not intentionally trying to hurt feelings. Instead they are simply being open and honest about their dislikes or their negative opinions.
Finally, there’s another meaning for candid that is specifically for the area of photography. If someone takes a candid photo or a candid shot (that’s another word for photo), it means they took a photo of people doing what they naturally do without asking them to pose for the photo, to smile or prepare for the photo. A candid photo is just taken and shows a picture of real life, natural action.
All right? Two meanings for the adjective candid, one describing words that are open and honest often expressing a negative opinion, and the other being a candid photo which is taken without any notification or preparation.
Thanks for joining me today, and tune in tomorrow for our next word of the day!