straight

[ streyt ]

/ streɪt /

SEE 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.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for straight

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 SYNONYMS FOR straight ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR straight

1 crooked.

5 devious.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR straight ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM straight

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH straight

straight strait

Words nearby straight

stradivarius, strafe, strafford, straggle, straggly, straight, straight a, straight and narrow, straight and narrow, the, straight angle, straight arm lift

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for straight up (1 of 2)

straight up

sentence substitute

British slang honestly; truly; exactly

British Dictionary definitions for straight up (2 of 2)

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 forms of straight

straightly, 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

Idioms and Phrases with straight up (1 of 2)

straight up

Served without ice, generally said of an alcoholic drink, as in He ordered a martini straight up. Straight was first recorded with this meaning in 1874.

Idioms and Phrases with straight up (2 of 2)

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

MEANINGS

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WORD OF THE DAY

straight

adjective, straight·er, straight·est.

adverb

noun

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Idioms for straight

Origin of straight

SYNONYMS FOR straight

ANTONYMS FOR straight

OTHER WORDS FROM straight

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH straight

Words nearby straight

British Dictionary definitions for straight up (1 of 2)

sentence substitute

British Dictionary definitions for straight up (2 of 2)

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived forms of straight

Word Origin for straight

Idioms and Phrases with straight up (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with straight up (2 of 2)

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

straight

adjective, straight·er, straight·est.

adverb

noun

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Idioms for straight

Origin of straight

SYNONYMS FOR straight

ANTONYMS FOR straight

OTHER WORDS FROM straight

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH straight

Words nearby straight

Words related to straight up

British Dictionary definitions for straight up (1 of 2)

sentence substitute

British Dictionary definitions for straight up (2 of 2)

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived forms of straight

Word Origin for straight

Idioms and Phrases with straight up (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with straight up (2 of 2)