adjective

straight

strayt

adjective

Extending in one direction without bending or curving.

"Draw a straight line from one corner to the other."

"Her hair is naturally straight."

Honest, direct, and free of trickery.

"Give me a straight answer, not another excuse."

"He has always been straight with his business partners."

Heterosexual.

"She came out to her straight friends first."

Following one after another without a break; consecutive.

"The team has won five straight games."

adverb

Directly, without any detour or delay.

"He went straight home after the shift ended."

"Just tell me straight what happened."

noun

In poker, five cards of consecutive rank.

"She won the hand with a straight, ten through ace."

How to Use Straight

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNot bent or curved; also used for honesty, directness, heterosexuality, and unbroken runs or sequences.

Memory tip

Don't confuse with "strait," a narrow passage of water — they sound identical but mean different things.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

strait →

Common pairings

straight line go straight straight answer straight face

Word Forms

straighter comparative, more straight comparative, straighted past tense, straights plural, Straights plural, straights singular, straightest superlative, most straight superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Draw a _____ line from one corner to the other.

Etymology

From Middle English "streight," the past participle of "strecchen" ("to stretch") — straight originally meant "stretched out."

Antonyms

bent crooked curved

Related Words

bent forte crooked askew curved

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