straight

[ streyt ]

/ streɪt /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR straight ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, straight·er, straight·est.

without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: a straight path.

exactly vertical or horizontal; in a perfectly vertical or horizontal plane: a straight table.

(of a line) generated by a point moving at a constant velocity with respect to another point.

evenly or uprightly formed or set: straight shoulders.

without circumlocution; frank; candid: straight speaking.

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

Informal. reliable, as a report or information.

right or correct, as reasoning, thinking, or a thinker.

in the proper order or condition: Things are straight now.

continuous or unbroken: in straight succession.

thoroughgoing or unreserved: a straight Republican.

supporting or cast for all candidates of one political party: to vote a straight ticket.

unmodified or unaltered: a straight comedy.

without change in the original melody or tempo: She does straight songs, with just the piano backing her.

Informal.

heterosexual.
traditional; conventional.
free from using narcotics.
not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.

undiluted, as whiskey.

Theater. (of acting) straightforward; not striving for effect.

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.

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

adverb

in a straight line: to walk straight.

in an even form or position: pictures hung straight.

in an erect posture: to stand up straight.

directly: to go straight to a place.

without circumlocution; frankly; candidly (often followed by out).

honestly, honorably, or virtuously: to live straight.

without intricate involvement; not in a roundabout way; to the point.

in a steady course (often followed by on): to keep straight on after the second traffic light.

into the proper form or condition; in order: to put a room straight.

in possession of the truth or of true ideas: I want to set you straight before you make mistakes.

sold without discount regardless of the quantity bought: Candy bars are twenty cents straight.

Journalism. directly and objectively: Write the circus story straight.

without personal embellishments, additions, etc.: Tell the story straight. Sing the song straight.

(of liquor) served or drunk without ice, a mixer, or water; neat: He drank his whiskey straight.

noun

the condition of being straight.

a straight form or position.

a straight line.

a straight part, as of a racecourse.

Informal.

a heterosexual.
a person who follows traditional or conventional mores.
a person who is free from narcotics.

Chiefly Games. a succession of strokes, plays, etc., which gives a perfect score.

Nearby words

Idioms

go straight, Informal. to live a law-abiding life; no longer engage in crime.

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.

straight off, without delay; immediately: I told him straight off what I thought about the matter.Also straight away.

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

Origin of straight

1250–1300; (adj.) Middle English; orig. past participle of strecchen to stretch; (adv. and noun) Middle English, derivative of the adj.

SYNONYMS FOR straight

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR straight ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR straight

1. crooked. 5. devious.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR straight ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

straight·ly, adverbstraight·ness, nouno·ver·straight, adjectiveo·ver·straight·ly, adverb

o·ver·straight·ness, nounsu·per·straight, adjectiveun·straight, adjectiveun·straight·ness, noun

Can be confusedstraight strait

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for straight

In straight relationships with an age gap, words like ‘gold-digger’ and ‘trophy wife’ get thrown around.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Except the Braves did not win 14 straight pennants (they did win 14 straight division titles), and Smoltz is a also Republican.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame|Ben Jacobs|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Denied parole nine straight times, he insists he is innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Amazing how people can still haul this one out with a straight face.
Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

As a kid, you were convinced that enough digging in the backyard would take you straight through to China.
The Mole Man’s Tunnel to Nowhere|Nina Strochlic|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His tall, straight form, erect and slim, swung toward them over the ice.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science February 1930|Various
La Plume carried them, and no doubt, your aide-de-camp also, straight to the French.
The Hour and the Man|Harriet Martineau
They were to try their best to turn square corners, to roll their hoops in a straight line, and to keep them from falling down.
All About Johnnie Jones|Carolyn Verhoeff
Of all the crumbled roads the most striking was the long, straight one joining Albert and Bapaume.
Cavalry of the Clouds|Alan Bott
He glanced back over his shoulder to see the beacon of Scarthey straight over the stern.
The Light of Scarthey|Egerton Castle

British Dictionary definitions for straight

straight

/ (streɪt) /

adjective

not curved or crooked; continuing in the same direction without deviating

straightforward, outright, or candida straight rejection

even, level, or upright in shape or position

in keeping with the facts; accurate

honest, respectable, or reliable

accurate or logicalstraight reasoning

continuous; uninterrupted

(esp of an alcoholic drink) undiluted; neat

not crisp, kinked, or curlystraight hair

correctly arranged; orderly

(of a play, acting style, etc) straightforward or serious

journalism (of a story, article, etc) giving the facts without unnecessary embellishment

US sold at a fixed unit price irrespective of the quantity sold

boxing (of a blow) delivered with an unbent arma straight left

(of the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine) in line, rather than in a V-formation or in some other arrangementa straight eight

a slang word for heterosexual

informal no longer owing or being owed somethingif you buy the next round we'll be straight

slang conventional in views, customs, appearance, etc

slang not using narcotics; not addicted

adverb

in a straight line or direct course

immediately; at oncehe came straight back

in an even, level, or upright position

without cheating, lying, or unreliabilitytell it to me straight

continuously; uninterruptedly

US without discount regardless of the quantity sold

(often foll by out) frankly; candidlyhe told me straight out

go straight informal to reform after having been dishonest or a criminal

noun

the state of being straight

a straight line, form, part, or position

British a straight part of a racetrackUS name: straightaway

poker

five cards that are in sequence irrespective of suit
a hand containing such a sequence
(as modifier)a straight flush

slang a conventional person

slang a heterosexual person

slang a cigarette containing only tobacco, without marijuana, etc

Derived Formsstraightly, adverbstraightness, noun

Word Origin for straight

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

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.

straight

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.

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)).

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

straight

adjective, straight·er, straight·est.

adverb

noun

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Origin of straight

Examples from the Web for straight

straight

adjective

adverb

noun

Word Origin for straight

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