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Glite Dictionary
right-on response

right-on response

7.2
An answer that is exactly correct for the situation
  • noun
translation icon : respuesta acertada
  • She gave a right-on response when asked about the project's timeline.

Examples

  • I wasn't expecting such a right-on response to my tricky question.

  • Her answer was a right-on response to the question.

  • His right-on response impressed everyone at the meeting.

  • Wow! That was a right-on response to the challenge!

  • His right-on response was exactly what the team needed during the discussion.

  • The teacher praised her for giving a right-on response that clarified the complex topic.

  • When I asked for advice, his right-on response really helped me understand the situation.

Antonyms

inappropriate comment
3 4.4

A remark that is rude, hurtful, or not suitable for the situation

How Appropriate

right-on response
7.2
lame response
  • Informal
5.3
nonanswer
  • Literature
7.1

Surface Forms

right-on response singular
right-on responses plural

Morphology

right-on + response

The noun 'response' is fully transparent, but the modifier 'right-on' is a slangy adjectival phrase whose meaning ('exactly appropriate' or 'spot-on') is only partly recoverable from 'right' + 'on'. The connection to the constituents is suggestive (right → correct) but relies on an idiomatic use of 'right-on' that many B1 learners would likely need prior exposure to, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

Right-on response comes from the image of a reply hitting the target, like a dart landing right on the mark. So a right-on response means 'an exactly correct or appropriate answer'.