Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

straight arrow

American  

noun

Informal.
  1. a person who manifests high-minded devotion to clean living and moral righteousness.


straight arrow British  

noun

  1. informal

    1. a clean-living and honest person

    2. ( as modifier )

      a straight-arrow cop

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of straight arrow

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

See Examples For:

Widely described as an earnest straight arrow who carried himself with understated confidence, he excelled in all high school endeavors save for athletics and was elected president of his class.

From Washington Post Sep. 13, 2022

Was it the straight arrow at the start of the series or this late-stage Kim, who’s sort of off the rails?

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 15, 2022

“Masha Yovanovitch is known as a straight arrow, disciplined, professional.”

From New York Times Sep. 26, 2019

The critique of his demeanor implied that the lifelong public servant had lost a step or two, that he’s a shadow of the hardworking straight arrow everyone remembers.

From Washington Times Jul. 30, 2019

At Truman, Wayne is known as a straight arrow, Mr. Responsibility.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training