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straight

straight

142 1.6
In an honest and direct way
  • adverb
  • /streɪt/
: sin rodeos
  • Let me get this straight.
  • tell someone straight
  • set someone straight

So I was thankfully able to get straight into the hormone testing.

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Examples

  • Before I let you go, let's get one thing straight.

  • "Will you send me?" She looked him straight in the eye, and he felt like crying again.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And I want to tell you straight just like it is.

  • Would you set the record straight, please?

  • I'll get straight to the point.

  • Listen, you guys, I'm going to give it to you straight.

  • Why can't patients just come straight out and tell you everything you might usefully want to know?

    Academic text (2010)
  • I want to talk to you straight about what happened.

  • Please answer my question straight without any excuses.

  • It's best to be straight with your feelings rather than hiding them.

Synonyms

flat
vsstraight
158 4.4

In a direct and blunt way

is honest but usually expresses views with more restraint and care
straight-up
vsstraight
  • Informal
144 7.9

Used to say something is completely honest without exaggeration

is honest but normally appears in more neutral or formal contexts
directly
vsstraight
106 1.4

In a clear honest way, saying what you think

is similarly honest but can be less sharp and less intense in tone
flat out
vsstraight
  • Informal
85 7.0

To say something plainly without hiding feelings

is honest but often less forceful and less intense in style
bluntly
vsstraight
36 4.6

In a direct way that is not polite

is honest but normally keeps greater politeness and social tact
point blank
vsstraight
  • Informal
35 5.0

In a very direct way without trying to hide anything

is honest but can leave space for softer and more nuanced replies
flatly
vsstraight
35 4.6

In a firm way that shows no doubt

is honest but often allows more nuance and avoids absolute certainty
straight-out
vsstraight
29 6.1

Completely direct with no doubt or excuse

is honest but may allow more nuance and room for exceptions
candidly
vsstraight
25 4.1

In an honest, direct way without hiding your true thoughts

is honest but sometimes less likely to shock or offend listeners
outright
vsstraight
20 4.3

Directly and openly, without hiding or delay

is honest but sometimes refers more to tone than complete exposure
forthrightly
vsstraight
6 6.7

In a direct and honest way without hiding anything

focuses on honest attitude rather than only clarity of meaning
straightforwardly
vsstraight
5 3.9

In a clear, honest way without hiding anything

is more about sincere honesty than purely being simple or plain
straight from the shoulder
vsstraight
  • Informal
1 7.4

In a direct and honest way without hiding feelings or opinions

is honest and plain but not always expressed with force or aggression

Antonyms

128 2.5

Likely to lie or cheat to get something for yourself

18 7.3

Not giving a direct answer to hide the truth or avoid commitment

Idioms

Give the true facts to fix a wrong idea

23 9.9

To say yes very strongly, often in informal speech

16 6.4

An honest, moral, and disciplined way of living

14 3.0

Immediately without delay

straight up
  • Jargon
8 7.6

A drink that is shaken or stirred with ice but served without ice

To speak directly about the main idea without extra details

To decide what is most important to do

Directly from the person who knows the facts

1 6.9

A person who has good judgment and common sense

To not be able to think clearly because you are very tired, angry, or confused

To keep your face looking serious and not show you are laughing

Looks exactly like the kind of person chosen to play a role in a film or show

In a direct and honest way without hiding feelings or opinions

Focus immediately on the most important information without extra details

1 8.9

Right from the start

To follow a steady plan and not get distracted

To calm your mind and think clearly

Compounds

83 1.0

A line that does not curve and keeps the same direction

37 3.9

A face that shows no feeling, often to avoid laughing

29 6.1

Completely direct with no doubt or excuse

A person who is attracted to people of the opposite sex

straight arrow
  • Informal
13 5.9

A person who always tells the truth and follows moral rules

straight shooter
  • Informal
13 3.7

A person who tells the truth in a direct, honest way

9 7.5

A performer who plays a serious role in a comedy to make the other person's jokes funnier

A razor with a long straight blade that folds into its handle for shaving

7 5.8

Five cards in a row all of the same suit

4 6.1

Choosing all candidates from the same party on a ballot

A seat with a straight back and no arms

1 2.6

A thin piece of metal with a sharp end that holds cloth or paper

Having legs that are straight, not bent or curved

straight angle
  • Specialized
1 3.5

An angle of 180 degrees that forms a straight line

1 6.3

Someone who speaks clearly and honestly without hiding things

1 8.0

A woman who plays the serious partner in a comedy duo and gives lines to the funny performer

straight-arm
  • Specialized
1 7.0

In American football, pushing a defender away by holding the arm straight

1 5.8

A poker game where each player gets five face down cards and cannot take any new ones

1 7.9

A check to see if you can keep a serious face when something is funny

straight thrust
  • Specialized
1 8.7

An attack in fencing where you lunge forward, keeping your back leg straight and your sword arm outstretched

straight-line method
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A way to spread an asset's cost equally over its useful life

A long straight line in soil made for planting seeds

straight chain
  • Specialized
1 5.5

Atoms in a molecule form a single row with no branches

straight-billed
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A bird with a beak that is straight, not curved

straight arch
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A structure with a straight horizontal top made of stones cut like wedges that support each other

straight sinus
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A large vein in the outer covering of the brain that carries blood from deep brain veins

straight flute
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A drill bit with straight grooves along its length that remove small rock pieces

straight fairlead
  • Specialized
8.4

A part that guides an anchor rope in a straight path on a ship

straight hang
  • Jargon
8.2

A position on rings or parallel bars with the body straight and arms at the sides

6.0

A life insurance plan with the same yearly payment you make that covers you for your whole life

straight-fluted drill
  • Specialized
7.3

A tool with straight grooves that help remove dust and chips while making holes in hard rock or masonry

Direct and honest in speech that does not hide what you think

A way of charging the same cost each year for an asset that loses value

To be direct and blunt when saying the truth

How Direct

bluntly
36 4.6
straight
142 1.6
frankly
∞ 3.2
plainly
65 1.8

Surface Forms

straight positive

Etymology

Straight used as an adverb for speaking plainly comes from the same idea of being direct, so to speak straight is to say things clearly and without avoiding them.