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.
Their findings reveal a surprisingly straightforward way to create these elusive compounds, potentially opening new possibilities for molecular chemistry.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
However, he added that "the president would retain considerable executive authority, so the implications for individual sectors are far from straightforward".
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
The straightforward fix was to index the thresholds permanently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
In the episode, the sequence where the celebrities all voted for James in light of his admission was shown as a relatively quick and straightforward process, raising a question about what prompted Romesh's shocked look.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
But one day, as she sailed by, he caught her with a straightforward “You not gonna speak to me?”
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
