indirectly

/ˌɪndəˈrektli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪndəˈrektli/ (ame, ipa)

indirectly — adverb

1. through a chain of causes or steps rather than as the immediate result of someth

1.副詞B2
釋義

through a chain of causes or steps rather than as the immediate result of something; reaching a person or outcome by passing through people, events, or paths in between.

例句

Sophia learned about the layoffs indirectly, through a friend whose sister worked in the office.

verb + indirectly + through + intermediary

Rising fuel prices indirectly raised the cost of bread, because trucks charged farmers more for deliveries.

X indirectly affects Y because Z (causal chain)

同義詞
  • secondhand

    stresses that information passed through another person before reaching you

  • obliquely

    formal; emphasises an angled rather than head-on route or approach

  • circuitously

    formal; stresses the roundabout, winding path itself

反義詞
  • directly

    in a straight line, or without anyone in between

  • firsthand

    from personal experience, not through someone else

文法句型

verb + indirectly

indirectly + past participle

用法筆記

Often pairs with cause-and-effect verbs (affect, cause, benefit, harm) and with 'responsible for' / 'linked to' / 'involved in'. Distinguish from sense 2: here the speaker is talking about a chain of causes or contacts in the real world, not about how words were chosen.

常見錯誤

❌He told me indirectly that I was fired.' (when he hinted)
✅He told me indirectly that I was fired
💡he kept saying the team was being restructured.' — for hinting use sense 2 and add what was actually said; alone the sentence is ambiguous between 'through a third party' and 'by hinting'.

2. in a way that hints at something or suggests it without saying it openly, often

2.副詞B2
釋義

in a way that hints at something or suggests it without saying it openly, often to avoid being rude or to leave room to deny it later.

例句

Defne indirectly suggested that her brother should look for a new job by praising his old colleagues.

indirectly + suggest / hint / criticise (speech verbs)

The manager indirectly criticised Wei's report by asking aloud whether anyone had checked the numbers.

indirectly + criticise + by + -ing (mechanism)

同義詞
  • implicitly

    formal; the meaning is understood without being stated

  • obliquely

    formal; approaching a topic from the side rather than head-on

  • subtly

    stresses that the hint is faint and might be missed

反義詞
  • directly

    saying exactly what you mean, without hinting

  • explicitly

    in a fully clear and open way, leaving no doubt

  • bluntly

    informal; in a very direct way that may seem rude

文法句型

verb of speaking + indirectly

indirectly + verb of speaking

用法筆記

Pairs with speech and writing verbs (say, suggest, criticise, refer to, address, admit). Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on word choice — the speaker chose not to be explicit — not on a real-world chain of causes.

常見錯誤

❌She refused indirectly.' (too vague to picture)
✅She refused indirectly, saying she would have to check her diary first.
💡with this sense, learners should add HOW the hint was delivered, otherwise the reader cannot tell what was actually said.