straight
straight — noun
- straightsingular
- straightsplural
1. the part of a racing track or road that runs in one line, with no curves or bend
the part of a racing track or road that runs in one line, with no curves or bends, especially the section near the finish.
Tendai pulled ahead of the leader as the horses entered the final straight.
common phrase: the final straight
The car wobbled on the bend but steadied once it reached the long straight.
collocation: long straight
Cyclists can reach top speed along the back straight of the velodrome.
collocation: back straight (sports venue)
Spectators cheered loudest when Valentina overtook two runners on the home straight.
collocation: home straight
- the final straight
- the home straight
- the back straight
- down the straight
- stretch
general term for any unbent section of road; not tied to racing
- straightaway
American English equivalent, especially in motor sport
Grammar Patterns
the + straight
Usage Note
Almost always used with 'the' and a directional modifier (final, home, back, finishing). Outside racing contexts the word 'stretch' is more common for a straight piece of road.
Common Mistakes
2. a run of successful shots, throws, sets, or moves that earns the highest possibl
a run of successful shots, throws, sets, or moves that earns the highest possible result during a sporting contest, with nothing missed in between.
Karim won the tennis final in straight sets, losing only six games overall.
fixed phrase: in straight sets
The Lions took the championship in three straights, beating every rival.
collocation: in N straights
Anong sank twelve free throws in a straight before her arm finally tired.
Few darts players manage to close out a leg with a straight of perfect throws.
- in straight sets
- win in straights
- a straight of
Grammar Patterns
win/take + in straights
Usage Note
Most natural in fixed sports phrases like 'in straight sets' (tennis) or 'three straights' (best-of-five matches). Outside these phrases, 'streak' or 'run' is usually preferred.
Common Mistakes
3. in poker, a winning combination of five cards whose numbers run in order, where
in poker, a winning combination of five cards whose numbers run in order, where the suits do not all need to match.
Liam stayed calm and revealed a straight running from five to nine.
phrase: a straight + from X to Y
A flush usually beats a straight in standard five-card poker rules.
ranking comparison context
Noa drew the missing card on the river and completed her straight.
verb collocation: complete a straight
The dealer warned the table that a straight only counts if every card is consecutive.
- make a straight
- complete a straight
- an ace-high straight
- a straight flush
Grammar Patterns
have/hold + a straight
Usage Note
Distinct from a 'straight flush' (five consecutive cards of the same suit), which is a much stronger hand. Differs from sense 2 in being a fixed poker term, not a sequence of actions.
Common Mistakes
4. someone whose romantic or sexual feelings are directed toward members of another
someone whose romantic or sexual feelings are directed toward members of another sex, used especially when contrasting with gay, lesbian, or bisexual people.
The campus group welcomes both queer students and straights who want to be allies.
plural noun: straights
Élise told the interviewer that, as a straight, she had never faced housing discrimination.
as a + straight (self-identification)
Christopher described himself as a straight raised by two lesbian mothers in Oregon.
The film festival drew gay and bisexual viewers as well as plenty of curious straights.
- gays and straights
- a self-identified straight
- straights and queers
- heterosexual
more formal and clinical; preferred in academic or medical writing
Grammar Patterns
a + straight
straights (plural)
Usage Note
Mostly informal and chiefly used inside discussions of sexuality or LGBTQ+ topics. The adjective 'a straight person' is felt as more neutral; the bare noun can sound a little blunt or pointed depending on context.
Common Mistakes
straight — adjective
- straightpositive
- straightercomparative
- straightestsuperlative
1. going in one direction only, with no curves, bends, or angles along the way.
going in one direction only, with no curves, bends, or angles along the way.
Linh drew a straight line across the page using a wooden ruler.
a straight + noun (line)
The road from the village to the lake is long and very straight.
noun + is + straight (predicative)
Sayaka has thick black hair that is perfectly straight, almost like silk.
straight describing hair
Sit up straight in your chair, and keep your back straight while writing.
straight describing posture
After many hours, the gardener finally pulled the hose straight across the lawn.
straight = no longer coiled
- straight line
- straight road
- straight hair
- sit/stand straight
Grammar Patterns
a straight + noun
noun + is/looks straight
Usage Note
Covers any shape without curves: lines, roads, hair, posture, and uncoiled objects. The opposite is curly, bent, or twisted depending on what the noun is.
Common Mistakes
2. behaving in an honest and fair way, and not trying to trick or hide things from
behaving in an honest and fair way, and not trying to trick or hide things from anyone.
Élise has always been a straight, fair manager who treats every worker the same.
a straight + person
Just be straight with me, Devika — did you take the money or not?
be straight with someone
We need a straight answer about the missing keys, not more excuses.
a straight answer
Romi kept a straight business and never cheated even his closest friends.
a straight + business/dealing
- a straight answer
- be straight with someone
- a straight deal
Grammar Patterns
be straight with someone
a straight + person/answer
Usage Note
Frequently used in the pattern 'be straight with someone' meaning to tell them the truth. Distinguish from sense 3 (saying something directly): sense 2 is about a person's character; sense 3 is about how a particular message is delivered.
Common Mistakes
3. saying exactly what you think in plain words, even when the message may upset or
saying exactly what you think in plain words, even when the message may upset or disappoint the listener.
Imani gave her brother a straight talk about wasting money on lottery tickets.
a straight talk (frank)
I will tell you straight: your novel needs another six months of careful editing.
tell someone straight + clause
Doctor Andrés prefers to give patients the news straight, without softening the words.
give it to someone straight
Yara asked the coach for a straight opinion on whether she should quit the team.
a straight opinion (frank)
- tell someone straight
- a straight answer
- straight talk
- give it to someone straight
- evasive
avoiding a clear answer
- diplomatic
softening the message to protect feelings
Grammar Patterns
tell someone something straight
give it to someone straight
Usage Note
Often appears with verbs of speaking: 'tell straight', 'say straight', 'give it to someone straight'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 describes the speaker as honest in general; sense 3 describes one piece of speech as delivered without softening.
Common Mistakes
4. easy to understand because the facts or steps are clear and not mixed up with an
easy to understand because the facts or steps are clear and not mixed up with anything confusing.
Let me get this straight, Ilan: you missed the bus because the alarm did not ring?
let me get something straight (clarify)
Christopher needed an hour to get the messy timeline of events straight.
get something straight (in order)
The teacher asked Anya to make sure all her facts were straight before the debate.
have one's facts straight
We can begin the project once the budget figures are straight in everyone's mind.
be straight (clear) in mind
- get something straight
- have one's facts straight
- set the record straight
Grammar Patterns
get something straight (in one's head)
have one's facts straight
Usage Note
Common in the patterns 'get X straight' and 'have one's facts straight', meaning to make information clear and correct. Often used when a speaker is confused and wants to confirm details before continuing.
Common Mistakes
5. lying flat or hanging evenly, without one side being higher than the other.
lying flat or hanging evenly, without one side being higher than the other.
The painting on Bilal's wall is not quite straight; the right side hangs lower.
be straight (level)
Henry checked that the kitchen shelves were straight before drilling the screws.
be straight (level)
Your tie is not straight, Yan — the knot has slipped over to the left.
predicative: not straight
The old wooden table is no longer straight, so the soup bowls slide toward the window.
no longer straight (level)
- hang straight
- sit straight on
- perfectly straight
Grammar Patterns
hang/sit/be straight
Usage Note
Subject is usually something that should sit flat or vertical: pictures, shelves, ties, tables, hems. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about shape (no curves); sense 5 is about position (no slope).
Common Mistakes
6. served on its own, with no water, ice, or other drink mixed into it; also used f
served on its own, with no water, ice, or other drink mixed into it; also used for plain food without sauces or extras.
Naoko likes her whisky straight, with no ice and no soda water.
drink something straight (no mixer)
Quinn ordered a straight gin at the hotel bar before dinner.
a straight + drink
After the long hike, Vivek took his coffee straight, no milk and no sugar.
take something straight (plain)
The chef serves straight tomato soup at lunch, with bread on the side.
straight + food (plain)
- drink something straight
- straight whisky
- straight gin
- straight up
Grammar Patterns
drink something straight
have/take something straight
Usage Note
Most common with strong drinks (whisky, vodka, gin) meaning no mixer. With food or coffee, it means plain or without extras. Compare sense 1 ('straight hair'): sense 6 is about purity, not shape.
Common Mistakes
7. happening one after the other in a series, with nothing else coming in between.
happening one after the other in a series, with nothing else coming in between.
Eshe scored top marks in maths for the fifth straight semester.
straight + ordinal + noun (counting consecutive units)
The Tigers have now lost ten straight games and may be relegated.
common pattern: number + straight + games/wins/losses
Caleb worked twelve straight hours on the building site without a break.
straight + time-unit noun for unbroken stretches
It rained for six straight days in Lucía's village last week.
Min answered three straight questions wrong and lost his quiz lead.
- five/six/ten straight wins
- straight days
- straight hours
- straight sets (in tennis)
- for the third straight year
- consecutive
more formal; common in writing and statistics
- successive
formal; emphasises sequence rather than count
- in a row
informal phrase used after the noun: 'five wins in a row'
Grammar Patterns
straight + plural noun (e.g. wins, hours, days)
Usage Note
Always before a plural or uncountable noun naming a unit of time, attempt, or result (days, weeks, hours, wins, losses). Cannot stand alone after a linking verb in this sense — you cannot say 'the games were straight'.
Common Mistakes
8. with the many objects in a room or on a surface arranged in their proper places,
with the many objects in a room or on a surface arranged in their proper places, so that the space looks orderly rather than messy.
Élise spent Sunday morning putting the spice rack straight after the move.
verb pattern: put something straight = tidy it up
Adina liked to keep her desk straight before starting any new task.
keep + noun + straight (maintain in tidy state)
Ritu finally got the cluttered hallway straight after two hours of sorting shoes and coats.
get + space + straight (orderly across many items)
Zayd cannot fall asleep until the toys, books, and clothes on his shelves are straight.
- put something straight
- get the house straight
- keep your desk straight
Grammar Patterns
put / get / keep something straight
Usage Note
Subject is usually a room, desk, shelf, or other space holding many items together. Distinguish from sense 5 (LEVEL): sense 5 describes a single object's horizontal or vertical alignment ('the picture is straight'); sense 8 describes the orderly arrangement of multiple items across a space ('the desk is straight').
Common Mistakes
9. behaving in a serious, conservative way and not interested in anything unusual o
behaving in a serious, conservative way and not interested in anything unusual or daring — sometimes used to suggest the person is a little dull.
Tuan's parents are too straight to enjoy a comedy club on a Friday night.
predicative use: be too straight (mildly disapproving)
Paul gave up his banking job because the office felt impossibly straight.
Cole always wore a tie to school dances and was teased for being so straight.
register: informal teasing
Christopher's poetry is far too straight for an audience that loves wild experiments.
before noun is rare; predicative is the usual pattern
- too straight
- pretty straight
- a straight crowd
- conventional
neutral; describes following accepted norms
- conservative
stronger; suggests resistance to change
- square
very informal and dated, used by younger people about older ones
- unconventional
neutral opposite
- edgy
informal; suggests daring or modern style
Grammar Patterns
straight + person noun
be too straight (informal)
Usage Note
Slightly informal and often mildly negative, suggesting the person or thing is boring or stuck in old ways. Do not confuse with sense 2 (HONEST), which is positive — context and tone tell them apart.
Common Mistakes
10. describing a person whose romantic and sexual feelings are directed only at peop
describing a person whose romantic and sexual feelings are directed only at people of the other gender.
Allison came out as bisexual after years of telling her family she was straight.
predicative use: be straight (about identity)
Imran is straight, but he marched in last weekend's pride parade with his sister.
common pattern: 'X is straight, but…'
Reuben writes about dating from a straight man's perspective in his weekly column.
before noun: 'a straight man / woman / friend'
Nala asked the new tenant whether she was straight or queer.
- a straight man
- a straight woman
- a straight friend
- openly straight
- heterosexual
more formal and clinical
Grammar Patterns
be straight
Usage Note
Standard informal term and widely accepted across registers, though 'heterosexual' is preferred in formal or medical contexts. This sense applies to the person; sense 11 covers relationships and activity.
Common Mistakes
11. involving two people of opposite genders together as partners, or describing the
involving two people of opposite genders together as partners, or describing the kind of romantic or sexual activity between them.
The novel follows three straight couples through their first year of marriage.
common collocation: straight couple / marriage
Ava's documentary contrasts straight relationships in Tokyo with same-sex ones in Berlin.
before noun only; this sense never stands as a predicate
Most romance novels in the 1980s portrayed only straight love stories.
Nora's research compares parenting outcomes in straight and gay households.
contrastive pattern: straight and gay
- a straight couple
- a straight marriage
- straight relationships
- straight households
- heterosexual
more formal; preferred in academic writing
- opposite-sex
neutral and clinical, common in legal or policy texts
Grammar Patterns
straight + relationship/couple/marriage/sex
Usage Note
Always before a noun describing the relationship, activity, or unit (couple, marriage, sex, household). Compare sense 10, which describes a person's identity rather than the relationship itself.
Common Mistakes
12. no longer taking illegal drugs or drinking alcohol, especially after a period of
no longer taking illegal drugs or drinking alcohol, especially after a period of doing so.
Heather has been straight for two years after finishing rehab in Glasgow.
be straight + duration (since stopping drugs/alcohol)
Renata promised her daughter she would go straight before the baby arrived.
verb phrase: go straight = give up drugs/alcohol
Tariro stayed straight throughout university despite the heavy drinking culture there.
stay straight = remain sober over time
Dylan called his sponsor every night to help him stay straight.
- go straight
- stay straight
- keep straight
- straight for [duration]
Grammar Patterns
go straight
stay straight
be straight
Usage Note
Informal, especially common in recovery contexts. Often confused with 'sober', but 'straight' can also imply staying off illegal drugs, while 'sober' usually points only to alcohol. Used predicatively, never before a noun in this sense.
Common Mistakes
13. owing no money to a person and being owed no money by them, so that no payment i
owing no money to a person and being owed no money by them, so that no payment is left unfinished between you.
Once Tariq pays me back the twenty dollars, we will be straight.
predicative: be straight after debts cleared
Saira handed her brother the last fifty pounds and said, "Now we're straight."
informal speech: 'we're straight' to close a debt
If you cover the taxi fare, I'll buy lunch tomorrow and we'll be straight.
Are we straight now, or do I still owe you for the concert tickets?
question form checking debt status
After Pedro paid back the loan from his cousin, the two of them were straight again.
be straight again after a loan is repaid
- be straight with someone
- now we're straight
- are we straight?
- in debt
still owing money to the other party
Grammar Patterns
be straight (with someone)
Usage Note
Predicative only and almost always plural-subject or with 'with [person]'; you cannot say 'a straight friend' meaning debt-free. Distinguish from sense 2 (HONEST) and sense 3 (DIRECT IN SPEECH): those describe character or manner, while this sense only describes the financial balance between two specific people.
Common Mistakes
straight — adverb
1. going to a place by the most direct route, without stopping anywhere else along
going to a place by the most direct route, without stopping anywhere else along the way.
After the long flight, Mira went straight home and fell into bed.
go straight home (no stop in between)
Walid drove straight to the hospital when he heard the news about his father.
drive straight to + place
Please come straight back to the classroom after lunch — do not stop at the shops.
come straight back + contrast clause
The children ran straight into the sea as soon as they reached the beach.
run straight into + place
Élise walked out of the meeting and went straight to her boss's office.
- go straight home
- drive straight to
- come straight back
- head straight for
Grammar Patterns
go/come/walk/drive + straight + to/into/back/home
Usage Note
Always sits between the verb of motion and the destination phrase (to/into/back/home). Distinguish from sense 3 ("straight away"), which marks time, not direction — sense 1 answers "by what route?", sense 3 answers "when?".
Common Mistakes
2. in a clear, logical way that lets you make sense of things — used almost only wi
in a clear, logical way that lets you make sense of things — used almost only with the verb "think", and almost always after "can't" or "couldn't".
I'm so tired that I can't think straight — let's discuss this tomorrow morning.
fixed pattern: can't think straight
After three cups of coffee and no sleep, Madison couldn't think straight at all.
couldn't think straight (past form)
The noise from the building site made it impossible for Quan to think straight.
make it impossible to think straight
Take a deep breath, Hoa — you need to think straight before you reply to that email.
- can't think straight
- couldn't think straight
- hard to think straight
- clearly
broader; works with many verbs (think, see, hear)
- rationally
more formal; emphasises logic over confusion
Grammar Patterns
think + straight (almost always negated: cannot/can't think straight)
Usage Note
Almost always paired with "think" and a negative or near-negative context (can't, couldn't, hardly, barely, impossible to). Avoid pairing it with other verbs of mental activity — "reason straight" or "plan straight" sound wrong to native speakers.
Common Mistakes
3. with no time gap before or after — used in phrases like "straight away" (right n
with no time gap before or after — used in phrases like "straight away" (right now) and "straight after" (the moment something else finishes).
Call an ambulance straight away — Mr. Tanaka has fallen down the stairs.
fixed phrase: straight away (= immediately)
Andrés went to the gym straight after work, without even changing his shirt.
straight after + noun (time-link)
Noor recognised her old teacher straight away, even after twenty years.
Eat your soup straight after I pour it, or it will get cold.
straight after + clause
- straight away
- straight after
- straight after work
- straight after dinner
- immediately
more formal, same meaning
- right away
American English equivalent of 'straight away'
- at once
formal; emphasises urgency
- later
general opposite of "straight away"
Grammar Patterns
straight away
straight after + noun/clause
Usage Note
About time, not direction. Compare with sense 1: "come straight home" = no detour (route); "come home straight after work" = no delay (time). "Straight away" is the British / Commonwealth equivalent of American "right away".
Common Mistakes
4. moving or pointing in a line that does not bend or turn — for example, walking f
moving or pointing in a line that does not bend or turn — for example, walking forward without changing direction, or sitting with your back upright.
Walk straight ahead for two blocks, then turn left at the bakery on the corner.
straight ahead (giving directions)
Sit up straight, Christopher — your back will hurt if you slouch over the desk like that.
sit up straight (posture)
The arrow flew straight through the apple and landed in the wooden fence behind it.
fly straight through + object
Ada looked straight into the camera and smiled at her grandmother on the video call.
look straight into / at (gaze direction)
The road runs straight across the desert for over a hundred kilometres.
- straight ahead
- sit up straight
- stand up straight
- look straight at
- straight across
- directly
more formal; works for both gaze and movement
Grammar Patterns
verb of motion + straight + ahead/up/down/across
Usage Note
Often combined with a small particle that names the direction: ahead, up, down, across, through, into. The combination tells the learner exactly which line of motion is meant.
Common Mistakes
if news comes from the horse's mouth, you got it from the very person it concerns, so you can trust that it is true.
I heard about the merger straight from the horse's mouth — the CEO told me herself over coffee.
go straight
idiomto stop committing crimes and start living a law-abiding life.
After ten years in prison, Ayana promised her mother she would go straight and find honest work.
if a fact or detail hits you in the eye, you notice it the moment you see it because it is so obvious.
The mistake on the cover of the report hit Sophia straight in the eye the second she opened the folder.
play it straight
idiomto behave in an honest, fair way and not try to deceive anyone.
The lawyer told her client to play it straight in court and answer every question truthfully.
straight away
idiomwith no time gap at all — the moment after something is mentioned or finished.
I'll fix the leaking tap straight away, before the water damages the kitchen floor.
speaking very honestly and bluntly, even when the message is harsh or hard to hear.
Brooke gave her brother the feedback straight from the shoulder: his business plan would never work.
straight off
idiomsaying or doing something with no pause to think it over first.
When the reporter asked about the rumour, Ryo answered straight off that it was completely untrue.
straight up
idioman informal way to ask whether a statement is really true, or to insist that what you have just said is genuinely true.
I won the lottery last night — straight up, Jessica, I'm not joking with you!
think straight
idiomto manage your thoughts in a clear, logical way so you can make a good decision.
Amelia was so worried about the exam results that she could not think straight all morning.
Word family
- straightenverbB2
- straightenernounC1
- straightnessnounC2
- straightforwardadjectiveB2
- straightforwardlyadverbC1
- straightawayadverbB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/2
All five words describe speech or behaviour that does not hide the truth, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Honest' is the neutral, all-purpose word for any register: a person, an answer, or a price can all be honest. 'Straight' is informal and most natural in fixed phrases — 'be straight with me', 'a straight answer' — and focuses on not playing games rather than on broader moral character. 'Direct' is about manner, not morality: a direct reply goes to the point with no detour, but a direct person can still be tactless. 'Candid' is slightly formal and stresses willingness to share personal opinions, especially on awkward topics, as in 'a candid interview'. 'Frank' is similar to candid but warmer and more conversational. Compare: 'I want an honest answer' (no lies), 'Just be straight with me' (drop the act), 'She gave a direct reply' (no waffle), 'a candid review of the film' (no flattery).
Common collocations
Nouns
- a straight line
- a straight road
- a straight answer
- a straight face
- straight hair
- a straight back
Adverbs
- perfectly straight
- absolutely straight
- dead straight
- ramrod straight
Phrases
- set/put the record straight
- get something straight
- keep a straight face
- look someone straight in the eye
- go straight home
- sit/stand up straight
Prepositions
- straight to
- straight from
- straight through
- straight into
- straight at
- straight with (someone)
Etymology
The word comes from Old English 'streht', the past participle of 'streccan', meaning to stretch or pull out tight. In Middle English this became 'streight' and was used for anything pulled into a line with no curve. From the early sense of 'extended in one line' the word spread by metaphor: a path that does not bend became a manner of speech that does not lie, a posture that is upright, an answer that does not wander, and an order of events with nothing in between.
First known use
14th century
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Adverb