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straight

[streyt]
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adjective, straight·er, straight·est.
  1. without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path.
  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.
  6. honest, honorable, or upright, as conduct, dealings, methods, or persons.
  7. Informal. reliable, as a report or information.
  8. right or correct, as reasoning, thinking, or a thinker.
  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. heterosexual.
    2. traditional; conventional.
    3. free from using narcotics.
    4. not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.
  16. 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.
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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.
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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 heterosexual.
    2. a person who follows traditional or conventional mores.
    3. a person who is free from narcotics.
  6. Chiefly Games. a succession of strokes, plays, etc., which gives a perfect score.
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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: I told him straight off what I thought about the matter.Also straight away.
  4. straight up, (of a cocktail) served without ice: a gin martini straight up.
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Origin of straight

1250–1300; (adj.) Middle English; orig. past participle of strecchen to stretch; (adv. and noun) Middle English, derivative of the adj.
Related formsstraight·ly, adverbstraight·ness, nouno·ver·straight, adjectiveo·ver·straight·ly, adverbo·ver·straight·ness, nounsu·per·straight, adjectiveun·straight, adjectiveun·straight·ness, noun
Can be confusedstraight strait

Synonyms

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5. open, direct. 6. virtuous, just, fair, equitable.

Antonyms

1. crooked. 5. devious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

shortstraightforwardsolidsmoothsuccessiveconsecutivenonstoptruedecentgoodstrongawaydeadevenrightverticallevelinvariableplumbperpendicular

Examples from the Web for straight

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • But I got him too straight—let a drunken man alone for telling the truth when he's got it in him.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • I certainly did need you to come along right now and set me straight.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • The leader had gone with Joe Clune straight for the front car.

  • Straight to this sign Andrew walked and sat down at the table beneath it.

  • She confronted him in her straight white gown and waited for him to speak.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for straight

straight

adjective
  1. not curved or crooked; continuing in the same direction without deviating
  2. straightforward, outright, or candida 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 logicalstraight reasoning
  7. continuous; uninterrupted
  8. (esp of an alcoholic drink) undiluted; neat
  9. not crisp, kinked, or curlystraight 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. US sold at a fixed unit price irrespective of the quantity sold
  14. boxing (of a blow) delivered with an unbent arma straight left
  15. (of the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine) in line, rather than in a V-formation or in some other arrangementa straight eight
  16. a slang word for heterosexual
  17. informal no longer owing or being owed somethingif you buy the next round we'll be straight
  18. slang conventional in views, customs, appearance, etc
  19. slang not using narcotics; not addicted
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adverb
  1. in a straight line or direct course
  2. immediately; at oncehe came straight back
  3. in an even, level, or upright position
  4. without cheating, lying, or unreliabilitytell it to me straight
  5. continuously; uninterruptedly
  6. US without discount regardless of the quantity sold
  7. (often foll by out) frankly; candidlyhe told me straight out
  8. go straight informal to reform after having been dishonest or a criminal
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noun
  1. the state of being straight
  2. a straight line, form, part, or position
  3. British a straight part of a racetrackUS name: straightaway
  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
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Derived Formsstraightly, adverbstraightness, noun

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for straight

adj.1

mid-14c., "direct, undeviating, not crooked," properly "that which is stretched," adjectival use of Old English streht (altered, by analogy with streccan, from earlier streaht), past participle of streccan "to stretch" (see stretch (v.)). Meaning "true, direct, honest" is from 1520s. Of communication, "clear, unambiguous," from 1862. Sense of "undiluted, uncompromising" (e.g. straight whiskey, 1874) is American English, first recorded 1856.

Theatrical sense of "serious" (as opposed to popular or comic) is attested from 1895; vaudeville slang straight man first attested 1923. Go straight in the underworld slang sense is from 1919; straighten up "become respectable" is from 1907. Straight arrow "decent, conventional person" is 1969, from archetypal Native American brave name. To keep a straight face first recorded 1897; straight shooter is from 1928; straight-edge as a punk subculture is attested by 1987.

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adj.2

"conventional," especially "heterosexual," 1941, probably in part from straight and narrow path "course of conventional morality and law-abiding behavior," which is based on a misreading of Matt. vii:14 (where the gate is actually strait), and the other influence seems to be from strait-laced.

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n.

1864, "straight part of a race track," from straight (adj.1). Poker sense attested from 1841. Meaning "conventional person" is first recorded 1967 (see straight (adj.2)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with straight

straight

In addition to the idioms beginning with straight

  • straight and narrow, the
  • straight as an arrow
  • straighten out
  • straighten up
  • straight face
  • straight from the horse's mouth
  • straight from the shoulder
  • straight goods
  • straight off
  • straight out
  • straight talk
  • straight ticket
  • straight up

also see:

  • (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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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.