Phrasal verbs

adj. 1.  Thoroughgoing; unequivocal:  a downright lie. 2.  Forthright; candid. adv. Thoroughly; absolutely. Quote: The constant references to Plan B and ella as abortion-causing pills frustrates  Susan Wood,  "It is not only factually incorrect , it is downright misleading ."

It sarcastically refers to the "honour" of doing something very badly, eg. "The Miami Dolphins had the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the NFL last year". "Dubious distinction" = a distinction, fact or statistic that you should not really be proud of

1.  To impede the progress of. 2.  To restrain oneself. e.g.  holding back was still a viable sexual strategy