straightforward
Americanadjective
-
going or directed straight ahead.
a straightforward gaze.
-
not roundabout or evasive; direct.
straightforward criticism;
a straightforward approach to a problem.
-
free from ambiguity; clear.
straightforward instructions.
-
free from crookedness or deceit; honest.
straightforward in one's dealings.
- Antonyms:
- devious
adverb
adjective
-
(of a person) honest, frank, or simple
-
(of a task, etc) simple; easy
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of straightforward
Explanation
Straightforward means direct in your approach. When you have a favor to ask of a friend, don't beat around the bush––say what you need in a straightforward way. If you want to propose marriage, you might go for the straightforward approach, saying, "Want to get married?" over dinner. Straightforward can also mean honest. If you have straightforward intentions, it means you're upfront about what you're trying to do.
Vocabulary lists containing straightforward
Nothing But the Truth
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And Then There Were None
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Muscle tissues have driven biohybrid robots to crawl and swim straight forward and make turns -- but not sharp ones.
From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2024
So, when it comes to tough conversations, most every manager agrees that being truthful and straight forward is always the best approach.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023
“Kind of, the thing that bothered it the most was straight forward running, is what he was saying so, and he’s able to get through that now. So, like what we see.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2023
Mr Flynn told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I thought it would be a relatively straight forward process to secure new auditors but that's proven not to be the case."
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2023
He keeps his eyes straight forward, but something in them is familiar, something about them makes me think of chalk dust.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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.
