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View synonyms for straight

straight

[ streyt ]

adjective

, straight·er, straight·est.
  1. without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct:

    a straight path.

    Antonyms: crooked

  2. exactly vertical or horizontal; in a perfectly vertical or horizontal plane:

    a straight table.

  3. (of a line) generated by a point moving at a constant velocity with respect to another point.
  4. evenly or uprightly formed or set:

    straight shoulders.

  5. without circumlocution; frank; candid:

    straight speaking.

    Synonyms: direct, open

    Antonyms: circuitous

  6. honest, honorable, or upright, as conduct, dealings, methods, or persons.

    Synonyms: equitable, fair, just, virtuous

  7. Informal. reliable, as a report or information.
  8. right or correct, as reasoning, thinking, or a thinker:

    Her book on the subject is a cornucopia of sanity, straight thinking, and clear vision.

  9. in the proper order or condition:

    Things are straight now.

  10. continuous or unbroken:

    in straight succession.

  11. thoroughgoing or unreserved:

    a straight Republican.

  12. supporting or cast for all candidates of one political party:

    to vote a straight ticket.

  13. unmodified or unaltered:

    a straight comedy.

  14. without change in the original melody or tempo:

    She does straight songs, with just the piano backing her.

  15. Informal.
    1. free from using narcotics.
    2. not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.
  16. not mixed with anything; undiluted, as whiskey.
  17. Theater. (of acting) straightforward; not striving for effect.
  18. Journalism. written or to be written in a direct and objective manner, with no attempt at individual styling, comment, etc.:

    She gave me a straight story.

    Treat it as straight news.

  19. Cards. containing cards in consecutive denominations, as a two, three, four, five, and six, in various suits.


adverb

  1. in a straight line:

    to walk straight.

  2. in an even form or position:

    pictures hung straight.

  3. in an erect posture:

    to stand up straight.

  4. directly:

    to go straight to a place.

  5. without circumlocution; frankly; candidly (often followed by out ).
  6. honestly, honorably, or virtuously:

    to live straight.

  7. without intricate involvement; not in a roundabout way; to the point.
  8. in a steady course (often followed by on ):

    to keep straight on after the second traffic light.

  9. into the proper form or condition; in order:

    to put a room straight.

  10. in possession of the truth or of true ideas:

    I want to set you straight before you make mistakes.

  11. sold without discount regardless of the quantity bought:

    Candy bars are twenty cents straight.

  12. Journalism. directly and objectively:

    Write the circus story straight.

  13. without personal embellishments, additions, etc.:

    Tell the story straight.

    Sing the song straight.

  14. (of liquor) served or drunk without ice, a mixer, or water; neat:

    He drank his whiskey straight.

noun

  1. the condition of being straight.
  2. a straight form or position.
  3. a straight line.
  4. a straight part, as of a racecourse.
  5. Informal.
    1. a person who follows traditional or conventional mores.
    2. a person who is free from narcotics.
  6. Chiefly Games. a succession of strokes, plays, etc., which gives a perfect score.

straight

/ streɪt /

adjective

  1. not curved or crooked; continuing in the same direction without deviating
  2. straightforward, outright, or candid

    a straight rejection

  3. even, level, or upright in shape or position
  4. in keeping with the facts; accurate
  5. honest, respectable, or reliable
  6. accurate or logical

    straight reasoning

  7. continuous; uninterrupted
  8. (esp of an alcoholic drink) undiluted; neat
  9. not crisp, kinked, or curly

    straight hair

  10. correctly arranged; orderly
  11. (of a play, acting style, etc) straightforward or serious
  12. journalism (of a story, article, etc) giving the facts without unnecessary embellishment
  13. sold at a fixed unit price irrespective of the quantity sold
  14. boxing (of a blow) delivered with an unbent arm

    a straight left

  15. (of the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine) in line, rather than in a V-formation or in some other arrangement

    a straight eight

  16. a slang word for heterosexual
  17. informal.
    no longer owing or being owed something

    if you buy the next round we'll be straight

  18. slang.
    conventional in views, customs, appearance, etc
  19. slang.
    not using narcotics; not addicted
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


adverb

  1. in a straight line or direct course
  2. immediately; at once

    he came straight back

  3. in an even, level, or upright position
  4. without cheating, lying, or unreliability

    tell it to me straight

  5. continuously; uninterruptedly
  6. without discount regardless of the quantity sold
  7. often foll by out frankly; candidly

    he told me straight out

  8. go straight informal.
    to reform after having been dishonest or a criminal
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the state of being straight
  2. a straight line, form, part, or position
  3. a straight part of a racetrack US namestraightaway
  4. poker
    1. five cards that are in sequence irrespective of suit
    2. a hand containing such a sequence
    3. ( as modifier )

      a straight flush

  5. slang.
    a conventional person
  6. slang.
    a heterosexual person
  7. slang.
    a cigarette containing only tobacco, without marijuana, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈstraightly, adverb
  • ˈstraightness, noun
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Other Words From

  • straight·ly adverb
  • straight·ness noun
  • o·ver·straight adjective
  • o·ver·straight·ly adverb
  • o·ver·straight·ness noun
  • su·per·straight adjective
  • un·straight adjective
  • un·straight·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of straight1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (adjective), originally past participle of strecchen “to stretch”; stretch
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Word History and Origins

Origin of straight1

C14: from the past participle of Old English streccan to stretch
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. go straight, Informal. to live a law-abiding life; no longer engage in crime.
  2. play it straight, Informal. to do something without jokes, tricks, subterfuge, distortions, or the like:

    a comedian who plays it straight when he crusades against drug abuse.

  3. straight off, without delay; immediately: Also straight away.

    I told him straight off what I thought about the matter.

  4. straight up, (of a cocktail) served without ice:

    a gin martini straight up.

More idioms and phrases containing straight

  • (straight) from the horse's mouth
  • get something straight
  • give it to (someone straight)
  • go straight
  • keep a straight face
  • right (straight) out
  • set straight
  • shoot straight
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Example Sentences

The reports began introducing the rhetoric of climate change straight into the heart of the far right’s vocabulary.

From Salon

The Leicester pair have yet to feature in the Autumn Nations Series but come straight into the line-up in place of Ben Spencer and George Furbank.

From BBC

After three straight wins over bad teams, the Commanders were edged by Pittsburgh.

She alleged McMillion was overheard making a comment to the effect of “no straight woman can ever work in SWAT.”

Last year, California’s State Water Resources Control Board adopted nation-leading regulations allowing water utilities to begin developing facilities that put highly treated recycled water straight into drinking-water supplies.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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