to see straight
11
6.7
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
pensar con claridad
- I know there were many days when the kids were younger and I couldn't even see straight that I prayed for some peace and quiet.
- hardly see straight
- barely see straight
- even see straight
And you, you can't even see straight because you haven't slept for, you know, three months.
- And you, you can't even see straight because you haven't slept for, you know, three months.
- Like this is free speech is the mechanism by which the big brain can think, can think for itself, can can think straight, can see straight.
Examples
-
Sam's leaving while he can still see straight.
-
Can you still see straight?
-
Pretty soon they will be too tired to see straight.
-
I was so tired I could barely see straight at the end of three days!
Blog text (34) -
I could barely see straight the next morning.
Academic text (2009) -
I just hope I'm seeing straight.
Fiction book (1992) -
But I couldn't see straight or think straight.
-
And a week after getting back, I've been feeling so drained I can barely see straight.
Blog text (10) -
I'm having trouble seeing straight after 5 Pirate rum specials.
Blog text (10) -
After working long hours without a break, I was so exhausted that I could barely see straight.
Synonyms
38
3.5
To use your mind clearly without being confused
34
3.4
Able to use your mind without confusion to make good decisions
6
7.0
To calm your mind and think clearly
Antonyms
How Clear-Headed
34
3.4
- Informal
11
6.7
6
7.0
7
5.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to be able to think clearly' is partly derivable from combining 'see' (understand/perceive) with 'straight' (directly/clearly), so the notion of clear perception maps onto mental clarity. However, the shift from literal visual clarity or straightforward expression to a metaphorical sense of rational thought can be ambiguous for a B1 learner without prior exposure, so full predictability is limited.
Etymology
The verb see straight comes from the simple image of clear sight. If your eyes are blurry from tiredness or strong feeling, you cannot see things straight, and that makes it hard to 'think clearly'.