candid
Definitions
Honest and direct, even about uncomfortable things; frank.
坦率的，直言不讳的，即使是难堪的事也实话实说。
(of a photograph) Taken informally, without the subject posing.
（照片）抓拍的，未经摆拍的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin candidus 'white, pure.' The Romans linked white with being clean and untainted, so 'white' slid into 'morally clear,' then 'honest and open.' A candid person has nothing dark to hide — they speak plainly. The photo sense ('candid shot') is the same: unstaged, nothing concealed.
Root cand still carries 12 more wordsWhy It Means This
Candid shows how a color word can become a character word. To Latin speakers, candidus (white) implied purity and spotlessness. English borrowed it as 'free from bias or pretense,' which narrowed to today's 'honest, frank.' The link to whiteness is gone from the meaning but lives on in the related candidate, who literally wore white.
Common Collocations
- 1.to be candid说实话
- 2.candid about对……坦诚
- 3.candid conversation坦诚的对话
- 4.candid assessment坦率的评估
- 5.candid shot抓拍照片
Example Sentences
- 1.
To be candid, I don't think this plan will work.
- 2.
She gave a candid account of her struggles with the project.
- 3.
The photographer caught a candid shot of them laughing.
Easily Confused
candid vs honest — Both mean truthful, but honest is the broad opposite of lying; candid stresses frankness about things people usually soften or avoid. An honest answer is simply true; a candid answer is true and direct even when it stings. You can be honest and still polite; candid often means blunt.