indirectness
indirectness — noun
1. the practice of hinting at what you mean rather than saying it directly, usually
the practice of hinting at what you mean rather than saying it directly, usually to be polite or to avoid causing offence
Natsumi's indirectness in the team meeting frustrated her boss, who needed a clear answer before the deadline.
Honoka valued the indirectness of her grandmother's advice — a gentle hint felt kinder than blunt criticism.
At Yuna's Seoul office, her indirectness — murmuring 'that may be hard' instead of 'no' — was seen as politeness, not weakness.
Thandiwe's indirectness during the salary talk made it impossible for her manager to know what she actually wanted.
Santiago admired his wife's skill at using indirectness to turn down invitations without hurting anyone's feelings.
- evasiveness
more negative — suggests deliberately hiding the truth
- circumlocution
more formal — focuses on using many words instead of few
- diplomacy
more positive — emphasises skill in handling sensitive situations
- directness
the quality of saying exactly what you mean without softening
- frankness
emphasises honesty and openness, even when uncomfortable
常見錯誤
indirectness — adjective
- indirectnesspositive
- more indirectnesscomparative
- most indirectnesssuperlative
1. not going by the shortest or most direct path; moving around something instead o
not going by the shortest or most direct path; moving around something instead of through it
Ehsan took an indirect route through the narrow back streets to dodge the traffic jam on the motorway.
indirect route — a path that is not the shortest
The indirect mountain path wound around every hill and stream, turning a short trip into a full morning's walk.
Haruki booked an indirect flight with a four-hour stop in Dubai because the direct tickets had sold out.
The bus follows a frustratingly indirect loop through three villages before finally reaching the town centre.
- roundabout
often used for roads, journeys, or ways of reaching a destination
- circuitous
more formal — used mainly for routes and logical reasoning
- meandering
suggests a relaxed, wandering path without urgency
用法筆記
This sense describes physical paths, roads, and journeys. For speech that avoids the point, see adj/2 (NOT GETTING TO THE POINT).
2. speaking or writing in a way that circles around the main subject instead of sta
speaking or writing in a way that circles around the main subject instead of stating things plainly
Amara's indirect reply — 'I'll think it over' — told Claudio she was not interested.
indirect reply / indirect answer — a response that avoids saying yes or no
The team leader asked an indirect question about the missing files, hoping someone would speak up.
indirect question — asking something without naming the real concern
Marc's indirect way of asking for help — loud sighs beside his supervisor — left her baffled about what he needed.
Asha's quarterly report was maddeningly indirect: three pages of sales history before a single guarded sentence about the lost contract.
用法筆記
Often used for diplomatic or polite avoidance rather than dishonesty. Compare with adj/3 (NOT OPEN OR HONEST), which implies deliberate deception.
常見錯誤
3. deliberately hiding the truth or one's real intentions behind words that seem in
deliberately hiding the truth or one's real intentions behind words that seem innocent
Laila sensed something wrong in the salesman's indirect answers about the car's repair history.
indirect answers — implying concealment, not just politeness
Dimitri found his car-loan contract deliberately indirect: the penalty rate sat hidden inside a paragraph labelled 'Customer Care.'
Marc warned his brother that the landlord's indirect promises about fixing the roof usually meant nothing would happen.
At the town hall, Claudio's indirect answers — deflecting tax questions with fairness talk — left voters sure he had no plan.
- straightforward
honest and open, without hidden meanings or tricks
- transparent
so clear and open that nothing is concealed
用法筆記
This sense carries a moral judgement: the speaker or writer is being indirect in order to deceive. Distinguish from adj/2, where the motive is usually politeness or diplomacy.
4. not happening as the immediate result of something, but coming through a chain o
not happening as the immediate result of something, but coming through a chain of other events or factors
The factory closure had an indirect effect on neighbourhood cafés, which lost most of their regular lunch customers.
indirect effect — a consequence that comes through intermediate steps
Asha's promotion was an indirect result of her department head leaving — the company needed to fill the gap quickly.
The storm caused direct damage to the roof, but the indirect costs — lost business and spoiled stock — were far higher.
Riko's doctor traced her back pain to an indirect cause: years of tensing up during stressful calls at work.
- secondary
coming after something else in importance, time, or sequence
- knock-on
mainly British — describes effects that cascade from an initial event
- derivative
more formal — emphasises that something comes from a source
用法筆記
Subject is typically an effect, result, consequence, cause, or cost. Distinguish from adj/5 (LOOSELY CONNECTED): this sense describes a cause-and-effect chain; adj/5 describes a general lack of clear connection.
5. having only a distant, weak, or unclear link to something, rather than a close o
having only a distant, weak, or unclear link to something, rather than a close or obvious one
Yuna's connection to the investigation was indirect — she had once shared a flat with someone who knew the suspect.
indirect connection — a link that is remote or through other people
Detective Asha admitted the evidence was indirect at best — two break-ins on a Tuesday, same postcode, nothing more.
indirect evidence — proof that suggests but does not firmly establish a fact
Haruki never believed in the indirect link between fuel prices and bread until his bakery's flour costs doubled overnight.
Laila's role in the hire was indirect: she slipped a friend's CV onto her boss's desk and said nothing.
- tangential
barely touching on the main subject; only slightly relevant
- remote
far removed in connection or relevance
- tenuous
so weak or slight that the link may not really exist