straight
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.
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: Her book on the subject is a cornucopia of sanity, straight thinking, and clear vision.
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.
free from using narcotics.
not engaged in crime; law-abiding; reformed.
not mixed with anything; 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.
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.
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.
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.
Idioms about 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
1Other words for straight
Opposites for straight
Other words from straight
- straight·ly, adverb
- straight·ness, noun
- o·ver·straight, adjective
- o·ver·straight·ly, adverb
- o·ver·straight·ness, noun
- su·per·straight, adjective
- un·straight, adjective
- un·straight·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with straight
- straight , strait
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use straight in a sentence
My younger, straighter-than-an-arrow son was stopped and arrested in two separate jurisdictions a few years ago.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face? | Goldie Taylor | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHeck, research shows that a little bit of Viagra will even help cut flowers stand up straighter for as long as a week.
Why There Will Never Be a Female Viagra | Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S | July 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThree-minute-per-day vibrations claim to shape the nose into a straighter, higher version of the shnoz you currently have.
DIY Plastic Surgery: Can You Change Your Face Without Going Under the Knife? | Nina Strochlic | January 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThose last two points should make folks sit up a little straighter.
His bassy, back-of-the-throat syllables are straighter and sexier; his yowls are more pointed and pained.
Only Sheila Carmack seemed fascinated, as she sat a bit straighter in her chair and peered brightly across her drink.
We're Friends, Now | Henry HasseThe deeper, straighter, and smoother the channels of migration, the lower the stratum they can tap.
The Old World in the New | Edward Alsworth RossSwift and straight as Sarchedon dashed in, the arrow flew swifter, straighter yet.
Sarchedon | G. J. (George John) Whyte-MelvilleWaziri gave his late playmates no notice beyond sitting rather straighter on the wagon seat than was comfortable.
Blind Man's Lantern | Allen Kim LangYour visits would make Wildeve walk straighter than he is inclined to do, and might prevent unhappiness down the heath.
Return of the Native | Thomas Hardy
British Dictionary definitions for straight
/ (streɪt) /
not curved or crooked; continuing in the same direction without deviating
straightforward, outright, or candid: a straight rejection
even, level, or upright in shape or position
in keeping with the facts; accurate
honest, respectable, or reliable
accurate or logical: straight reasoning
continuous; uninterrupted
(esp of an alcoholic drink) undiluted; neat
not crisp, kinked, or curly: straight 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 arm: a straight left
(of the cylinders of an internal-combustion engine) in line, rather than in a V-formation or in some other arrangement: a straight eight
a slang word for heterosexual
informal no longer owing or being owed something: if you buy the next round we'll be straight
slang conventional in views, customs, appearance, etc
slang not using narcotics; not addicted
in a straight line or direct course
immediately; at once: he came straight back
in an even, level, or upright position
without cheating, lying, or unreliability: tell it to me straight
continuously; uninterruptedly
US without discount regardless of the quantity sold
(often foll by out) frankly; candidly: he told me straight out
go straight informal to reform after having been dishonest or a criminal
the state of being straight
a straight line, form, part, or position
British a straight part of a racetrack: US 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
Origin of straight
1Derived forms of straight
- straightly, adverb
- straightness, noun
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 Idioms and Phrases with 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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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