straight
/streɪt
/adjective
1Extending or moving uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend: a long, straight road...
- At the end of the straight section, the road bends to the right and appears to go down slightly.
- There is a mistaken belief that it is a straight road, while in fact there is a slight bend.
- Two cars start off at the same point on a straight highway facing opposite directions.
Synonyms
unswerving, undeviating, linear, direct, as straight as an arrow, uncurving, unbending
1.1(Of hair) not curly or wavy.After a quick survey of the room, she saw that she was one of a handful of women whose hair was straight rather than curly....
- I have long, straight hair and I don't want it to be curly so please keep that in mind.
- She watched as the rain rinsed off Evelyn's layers of make-up and her straight hair became frizzy curls.
1.2(Of a garment) not flared or fitted closely to the body: a straight skirt...
- This consisted of a white fitted shirt, a blue straight skirt which came just above the knee and a blue sweatshirt and tie.
- They wore satin dresses with scalloped bodices and straight skirts and carried cream and cerise roses.
- The waitresses wear authentic Thai clothes and look elegant in their long straight skirts and blouses in silks of every hue of the rainbow.
1.3(Of an aim, blow, or course) going direct to the intended target: a straight punch to the face...
- Why is it that when you stop paddling a kayak, it turns sharply instead of maintaining a straight course?
- The driver shouted as he changed his straight course and headed directly at Mac.
- They showed strong inclinations to remain on a straight course, requiring constant input to turn or tilt.
1.4 Geometry (Of a line) lying on the shortest path between any two of its points.On this is an arrangement of straight lines, circles and semi-circles....
- He produced a number of formulas for triangles, two sides of which were straight lines and the third was the arc of a circle.
- So the dots all lie along straight lines passing through the centre of the system of circles.
1.5(Of an arch) flat-topped.A flat arch, also known as jack or straight arch, extends straight across an opening with no curvature, creating a horizontal emphasis....
- Some new longitudinal walls were made of yellow clay bricks with concrete straight arches for the doors.
- Each of the four straight arches is flanked on either side by an engaged Doric column and surmounted by an entablature.
2Properly positioned so as to be level, upright, or symmetrical: he made sure his tie was straight...
- Your back should be reasonably straight and upright.
- Even his tie, blown to one side by a slight wind, was back to its normal straight position.
- The black tie was straight and positioned perfectly, giving him an overall very professional appearance.
Synonyms
level, even, true, in line, aligned, square, plumb, properly positioned;
symmetrical;
vertical, upright, perpendicular;
horizontal
2.1 [predicative] In proper order or condition: it’ll take a long time to get the place straight...
- It took eight solid hours of cleaning to get the place straight.
- My maid is coming in the morning and I need to get the place straight so she can actually clean.
- I was pretty tired by evening - unpacking and trying to get the house straight had really taken it out of me, so instead of staying up to watch Big Brother, I went to bed early.
Synonyms
in order, tidy, neat and tidy, neat, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), in apple-pie order, orderly, spick and span, organized, arranged, sorted out, straightened out, trim, spruce
informal together
3Not evasive; honest: a straight answer thank you for being straight with me...
- It was straight, forthright and honest, and, once the situation was resolved, there were no grudges and no problems.
- But the people he deals with are all evasive to the point that he can't get a straight answer.
- The only way to truly find out why would be to ask all the coaches how they voted and even then it might be hard to get a straight answer.
Synonyms
honest, direct, frank, candid, truthful, sincere, forthright, straightforward, plain-spoken, plain-speaking, plain, blunt, downright, outspoken, straight from the shoulder, no-nonsense, unequivocal, unambiguous, unqualified, unvarnished
informal upfront
archaic round, free-spoken
3.1Simple; straightforward: a straight choice between nuclear power and penury...
- This time, the message was simple and straight: You too will grow old one day.
- I wasn't going to be doing any watching so I thought it best to put it in simple, straight terms.
- On the issue of the replacement, the coach said it was not as simple as making a straight swap.
3.2(Of a look) bold and steady: he gave her a straight, no-nonsense look...
- She fixed Anna with a straight look, one she knew would be understood.
- The straight looks and answers she gives when asked about her ambitions leave no doubt that she thinks the sacrifice was worth it.
3.3(Of thinking) clear, logical, and unemotional.With a little bit of focussed and straight thinking, it could be more suitable for what is essentially a children's band on this channel....
- The book combined good writing with straight thinking, and it would be a success, he predicted.
Synonyms
logical, rational, clear, lucid, sound, coherent, unemotional, dispassionate
4 [attributive] In continuous succession: he scored his fourth straight win...
- The Blues dominated the first-half, looking for their fifth straight win in succession at Vicarage Park.
- Speaking of United, their form continues to improve, with a fourth straight Premiership win.
- Game Three is Monday at Miami, where they have won 16 straight games.
Synonyms
successive, in succession, consecutive, in a row, one after the other;
running, uninterrupted, solid, unbroken
informal on the trot
5(Of an alcoholic drink) undiluted; neat: straight brandy...
- By the age of 14 Annie was drinking straight vodka, smoking cannabis on a daily basis and almost never going to school.
- That makes it more difficult for employees to hide beer, wine, or straight liquor in a Styrofoam cup or shaded glass.
- I didn't want to just order a beer - how classic - or a glass full of straight vodka.
6(Especially of drama) serious as opposed to comic or musical: a straight play...
- It's a great experience as there is a lot more latitude but I actually prefer dramas and straight thrillers.
- Though the subject matter is somewhat similar, this is a straight drama, devoid of comic moments and Seventies retro.
- It is a subject familiar to us from screwball farces, and one from which a straight drama could also be drawn.
7 informal (Of a person) conventional or respectable: she looked pretty straight in her school clothes...
- They are straight, decent guys; unassuming and happy to take whatever slings and arrows are on the pitch.
- They're so straight, some of these people, that you can see how stressed they are when it comes to asking for cannabis.
- They were very good people and very straight, honest people.
Synonyms
respectable, upright, upstanding, honourable, honest, on the level, decent, right-minded, law-abiding;
conventional, conservative, traditional, conformist, old-fashioned, strait-laced, unadventurous
informal stuffy, square, fuddy-duddy
7.1Heterosexual.But let's face it - straight people have the option to get married....
- One reader even suggested that an organization should be founded to encourage other straight people to do the same.
- I don't really care what it's called, but if non-religious straight people can get married, so should gays.
adverb
1In a straight line; directly: he was gazing straight at her keep straight on...
- The lid fell down with a great force straight on to my hand.
- Immediately after the causeway, head right through a gate and follow the lakeside path straight on then through woodland to reach a lane across your path.
- Follow the road straight on through the village passing the church on your left then follow Bankwell Road straight on.
Synonyms
right, directly, squarely, full, plumb
informal smack, bang, slap bang
North American informal spang, smack dab
1.1With no delay or diversion; directly or immediately: after dinner we went straight back to our hotel I fell into bed and went straight to sleep...
- And, unlike many, it is ready to use straight from the box, thus avoiding frustrating delays.
- I couldn't follow his flawed logic and I ordered him to drive straight there.
- He walked straight to the bar and ordered a double-whiskey.
Synonyms
directly, right, by a direct route, without deviating, in a beeline;
as the crow flies, by the shortest route
right away, straight away, without delay, immediately, directly, at once, as soon as possible, a.s.a.p.;
French tout de suite
informal toot sweet, before you can say Jack Robinson, before you can say knife
archaic straightway, instanter
1.2 archaic At once; immediately: I’ll fetch up the bath to you straight
2In or into a level, even, or upright position: he pulled his clothes straight sit up straight!...
- Stifling a cry of pain, she stiffly moved herself into a better position holding her arms straight as possible.
- Before he was even able to stand up straight he pulled her over towards an awaiting wagon.
- I pull my navy jumper straight and flex my fingers, ready to type.
3Correctly; clearly: I’m so tired I can hardly think straight...
- When we are emotionally upset and complain that we can no longer think straight we are in fact quite correct.
- Europeans have to think straight, to talk honestly and recognise their commonality.
- So often she had been too drugged to think straight or she had been kept too busy to think.
Synonyms
logically, rationally, clearly, lucidly, coherently, cogently, unemotionally, dispassionately;
properly, correctly
3.1Honestly and directly; in a straightforward manner: I told her straight—the kid’s right...
- You need to tell him straight and not make excuses; it's not your fault that you like another person and it's not as if you used to be going out with him, so it won't be so bad telling him. Just say I'm sorry, I don't feel the same.
- I think just tell them straight that you cannot take up their job offer.
Synonyms
frankly, directly, straight out, candidly, honestly, forthrightly, outspokenly, plainly, point-blank, bluntly, flatly, roundly, straight from the shoulder, with no holds barred, without beating about the bush, without mincing words, unequivocally, unambiguously, in plain English, to someone's face
informal pulling no punches
British informal straight up
4Without a break; continuously: he remembered working sixteen hours straight...
- Who'd want to type for two hours straight only to get a fifteen-minute break?
- When the feeling or mood is right, I'll film two days straight without a break.
- We left the system on continuously for several days straight without any problem.
noun
1A part of something that is not curved or bent, especially a straight section of a racecourse: he pulled away in the straight to win by half a second...
- The field bunched up turning into the straight with over four furlongs to run and a host of horses were in with a chance.
- Woodbine, with big, sweeping turns and a long straight, is the perfect track for European horses.
- He kept his horse against the far rails all the way up the straight for a popular win in the Stanley Racing Handicap.
1.1 archaic A form or position that is not curved or bent: the rod flew back to the straight
2(In poker) a continuous sequence of five cards.The next person with a straight can guess a card....
- Each royal flush is 7 points, a straight flush is 6 points, straights are 4 points, and 4-of-a-kinds are 2 points.
- You can make pairs, triples, four-of-a-kinds, or straights.
3 informal A conventional person.
3.1A heterosexual person.I have heard both gays and straights say that bisexuals can exercise heterosexual privilege and live a straight life, enjoying all the rights that gays don't have....
- ‘There is no difference on average between the economic status of gays and lesbians and straights,’ Badgett says.
- Nobody knows what makes someone gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight.
4South African informal (In township slang) a 750 ml bottle of alcoholic drink.For instance I was shocked beyond words the other day when I eavesdropped on a casual conversation between a driver and his trusted companion on how they would be able to afford a straight of brandy if they unilaterally raised the commuter fare.
Perhaps a transferred sense of US slang straight 'unadulterated whisky'
Phrases
get something straight
go straight
a straight face
the straight and narrow
straight (or right) away
a straight fight
straight from the shoulder
straight off (or out)
straight up
Derivatives
straightish
- I think he genuinely doesn't understand why a nice straightish boy like me wants to go to gay clubs anyway.
- It was straightish, but it wasn't exactly perfect.
- It was her mother who broke the deadlock and marched her over to a beauty school to have the stylists turn her straightish hair into an Afro.
straightly
- That gave me some confidence and I sat up more straightly.
- Position your body in a straightly aligned manner.
- ‘Stay here,’ he said as he stood up straightly and then turned towards the parking lot.
straightness
/ noun ...- The range of speeds I mentioned is related to the straightness of the track.
- The overall architecture of the tree (i.e. trunk straightness, forking, and number of trunks) may also affect sap flow.
- Most importantly it is heterosexism that blinds people to understanding that gayness is almost identical to straightness.
Origin
Middle English (as an adjective and adverb): archaic past participle of stretch.
The word straight is the old past form of Old English stretch, and originally meant ‘extended at full length’. The sense relating to an alcoholic drink, ‘undiluted’, is the American equivalent of neat and dates from the middle of the 19th century. The straight and narrow is the honest and morally acceptable way of living. The earliest example of this expression was the longer the straight and narrow path (or way). It arose through a misunderstanding of the meaning of a word in this passage from the Gospel of Matthew: ‘Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it’. Strait (Late Middle English) here simply means ‘narrow’, from the same source as strict, a sense which only really survives today in the noun meaning ‘a narrow passage of water connecting two seas’, as in the Straits of Gibraltar. The confusion probably came about because crooked, the opposite of straight, had long been used to mean ‘dishonest’.