Meaning & use
candid
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Open and honest about what you think, even when it is uncomfortable.
Grammar: Often with about or with: candid about her mistakes.
Patterns
- candid about something
- candid with someone
She gave a candid answer about her salary.
He was candid with the team about the risks.
I will be candid: the plan is not working.
adjectivebefore a noun
Taken without the subject posing, so it looks natural.
Grammar: Before a noun: a candid photo.
Patterns
- a candid photo
The best wedding photos are candid shots.
She hates candid pictures of herself.
The magazine published a candid photo of the actor.
Word forms
| comparative | more candid |
|---|---|
| superlative | most candid |
Common combinations
- candid about
- He was candid about his illness.
- candid opinion
- I want your candid opinion.
- candid photograph
- The candid photograph made everyone laugh.
- candid interview
- The star gave a candid interview.
- to be candid
- To be candid, I disliked it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- frank
- Frank is nearly the same but can sound blunter.
- honest
- Honest is broader and includes not lying or stealing.
- straightforward
- Straightforward stresses direct, clear communication.
- blunt
- Blunt suggests tactlessly direct.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: candid or candidate?
candid vs candidate
A candidate is someone seeking a job or office; candid means honest.
Practice
Which sentence uses candid in the photographic sense?
Choose one answer.
A candid shot is an unposed photograph. The other options use candid for honesty.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “candid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.