straight man
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of straight man
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
Some scenes introduce that character as the straight man.
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2025
It’s now different for him to enter LGBTQ+ rooms where lesbians might read him as a straight man or gay men might not recognize him as trans.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024
But he has grown into his role at “Saturday Night Live,” proving to be an especially strong straight man adept at the comedy of embarrassment.
From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2024
Jadeja is a nice contrast - steady, quick, chipping away, the straight man to Ashwin's varied expressions.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2024
I’ve nothing against Hawtrey either: a straight man, a hustler, and smart at handling a team.
From Masters of the Wheat-Lands by Bindloss, Harold
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.
