- without a bend or curve; going in one direction only
- a straight road
- long, straight hair (= not curly)
- a boat sailing in a straight line
- straight-backed chairs
- Keep the car straight when you're backing out.
Extra ExamplesTopics Colours and Shapesa2, Appearancea2- The road was very long and very straight.
- Keep your back absolutely straight.
- She had curled her naturally straight hair.
- She held herself very straight.
- Keep going in a dead straight line.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- become
- …
- absolutely
- completely
- dead
- …
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- positioned in the correct way; level, vertical or parallel to something
- Is my tie straight?
- He stepped back to make sure that the picture was straight.
- Her teeth were white and perfectly straight.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- hang something
- …
- absolutely
- completely
- perfectly
- …
- not fitting close to the body and not curving away from the body
- a straight skirt
- going directly to the correct place
- a straight punch to the face
- [not usually before noun] clean and neat, with everything in the correct place
- It took hours to get the house straight.
- I'm trying to get the house straight before the weekend.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- get something
- put something
- …
- honest and direct
- I expect a straight answer to a straight question.
- straight with somebody I don't think you're being straight with me.
- It's time for some straight talking.
- You can trust Ben—he’s (as) straight as a die (= completely honest).
Synonyms honesthonestfrank ▪ direct ▪ open ▪ outspoken ▪ straight ▪ bluntThese words all describe people saying exactly what they mean without trying to hide feelings, opinions or facts.honest not hiding the truth about something:Topics Personal qualitiesc2- Thank you for being so honest with me.
- To be frank with you, I think your son has little chance of passing the exam.
- You’ll have to get used to his direct manner.
- He was quite open about his reasons for leaving.
- She was outspoken in her criticism of the plan.
- I don’t think you’re being straight with me.
- She has a reputation for blunt speaking.
- Honest and frank refer to what you say as much as how you say it:
- a(n) honest/frank admission of guilt.
- I’m a very open person.
- honest/frank/direct/open/outspoken/straight about something
- honest/frank/direct/open/straight/blunt with somebody
- a(n) honest/direct/straight/blunt answer
- a frank/direct/blunt manner
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- absolutely
- completely
- totally
- …
- with
- [only before noun] simple; involving only two clear choices
- It was a straight choice between taking the job and staying out of work.
- (British English) The election was a straight fight between the two main parties.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- get something
- put somebody
- …
- absolutely
- [only before noun] (of an actor or a play) not connected with comedy or musical theatre, but with serious theatre
- [only before noun] one after another in a series that is not interrupted synonym consecutive
- The team has had five straight wins.
Extra Examples- I was stranded for nine straight weeks.
- This was our third straight victory.
- She won in straight sets.
- (British English also neat)not mixed with water or anything elseTopics Drinksc2
- (informal) you can use straight to describe a person who is normal and ordinary, but who you consider boring
- (informal) heterosexual opposite gayTopics People in societyc1
without curves
in level/correct position
clothing
aim/blow
clean/neat
honest
choice
actor/play
without being interrupted
alcoholic drink
normal/boring
sex
Word OriginMiddle English (as an adjective and adverb): archaic past participle of stretch.
Idioms
See straight in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee straight in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishget something straight
- to make a situation clear; to make sure that you or somebody else understands the situation
- Let's get this straight—you really had no idea where he was?
- Let's get this absolutely straight.
put/set the record straight
- to give people the correct information about something in order to make it clear that what they previously believed was in fact wrong
- To put the record straight, I do not support that idea and never have done.
Extra Examples- She called a press conference to set the record straight about her disappearance.
- She welcomed the opportunity to set the record straight.
put/set somebody straight (about/on something)
- to correct somebody’s mistake; to make sure that somebody knows the correct facts when they have had the wrong idea or impression
- She soon set me straight about what had happened.
ramrod straight | (as) straight as a ramrod
- (of a person) with a very straight back and looking serious and formal
- Her back was ramrod straight.
- He stood there straight as a ramrod.
the straight and narrow
- (informal) the honest and morally acceptable way of living
- His friends try to keep him on the straight and narrow.
a straight face
- if you keep a straight face, you do not laugh or smile, although you find something funny see also straight-faced
(earn/get) straight A’s
- (especially North American English) (to get) the best grades in all your classes
- a straight A student
Check pronunciation:
straight