straight
adjective · adverb · noun · verb
Simple meaning
Not crooked, curly.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
straytIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈstɹeɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
of a pathtrajectoryetc.
Direct, undeviating.
Not crooked, curly, or bent; having a constant direction throughout its length.
Having no deviations
Free from curves or angles
In a row, in unbroken sequence; consecutive.
colloquial
Conventional; mainstream; socially acceptable.
adverb
Of a direction relative to the subject, precisely; as if following a direct line.
Of speech or information, without prevarication or holding back; directly; straightforwardly; plainly.
Directly; without pause, delay or detour.
Continuously; without interruption or pause.
Without deviation
noun
Something that is not crooked or bent such as a part of a road or track.
A cat that has straight ears despite belonging to a breed that often has folded ears.
colloquial
A heterosexual.
A chiropractor who relies solely on spinal adjustment, with no other treatments.
verb
transitive
To straighten.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (of a path, trajectory, etc.) Direct, undeviating.
Used this way, straight is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A poker hand with consecutive cards in the same suit.
A rock drill with flutes that are straight.
A rock drill with flutes that are straight.
A hang performed on the rings or parallel bars with the body erect and the arms at the sides.
Insurance on the life of the insured for a fixed amount at a definite premium that is paid each year in the same amount during the entire lifetime of the insured.
A line traced by a point traveling in a constant direction.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Straighten up or out.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.