straight

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled strite

US /stɹeɪt/ See IPA manual

Homophones

strait /stɹeɪt/

Freq #666

Meanings

1

adj
Going in one direction without bending or curving.

Draw a straight line between the two points.
2

adj
Of hair: having no waves or curls.

She has long, straight hair.
3

adj
Following one after another without a break.

I've been sick for five straight days.
4

adj
Honest and fair.

I just want a straight answer from you.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · following one after another... consecutive

4 adj · honest and fair. square

Opposites

bent crooked curved

Word family

Forms straighterstraighteststraightlystraightnessstraights

Derived forms antistraightarrow-straightbackstraightbone-straightcostraightenstraightennonstraightquasistraightstraggotstraight-astraight-actingstraight-arm

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Idioms (3)

See all

Simplified etymology

Straight originated as an old past-tense form of the Old English verb stretch and originally meant “extended to full length.” Its American use for an undiluted alcoholic drink dates from the mid-19th century.

Etymology

From Middle English streight, streght, streiȝt, the past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”), from Old English streċċan (past participle ġestreaht, ġestreht), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch”). Cognate with Scots straicht (“straight”), Dutch gestrekt (“stretched”), German gestreckt (“stretched”), Danish strakt (“stretched”), Faroese and Norn strekti (“stretched”), Icelandic strekkti (“stretched”), Norwegian strekte (“stretched”), Swedish sträckte (“stretched”). Doublet of straught. Equivalent to stretch + -ed. In some senses, conflated with strait (“narrow, constricted”), w…

streight Middle English streċċan Old English *strakkjan Proto-West Germanic

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Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# straight

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /stɹeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 666

## Meanings
1. Going in one direction without bending or curving.
2. Of hair: having no waves or curls.
3. Following one after another without a break.
4. Honest and fair.

## Examples
- Draw a straight line between the two points.
- She has long, straight hair.
- I've been sick for five straight days.
- I just want a straight answer from you.

## Antonyms
- bent
- crooked
- curved

## Derived Forms
- antistraight
- arrow-straight
- backstraight
- bone-straight
- costraight
- enstraighten
- nonstraight
- quasistraight
- straggot
- straight-a
- straight-acting
- straight-arm

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: streight
- Root: streċċan
- Root: *strakkjan

## Etymology
From Middle English streight, streght, streiȝt, the past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”), from Old English streċċan (past participle ġestreaht, ġestreht), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch”). Cognate with Scots straicht (“straight”), Dutch gestrekt (“stretched”), German gestreckt (“stretched”), Danish strakt (“stretched”), Faroese and Norn strekti (“stretched”), Icelandic strekkti (“stretched”), Norwegian strekte (“stretched”), Swedish sträckte (“stretched”). Doublet of straught. Equivalent to stretch + -ed. In some senses, conflated with strait (“narrow, constricted”), w…

## AI Etymology
Straight is from Middle English streight, streght, streiȝt, the past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”), from Old English streċċan (past participle ġestreaht, ġestreht), from Proto-West Germanic *strakkjan (“to stretch”). Cognate with Scots straicht (“straight”), Dutch gestrekt (“stretched”), German gestreckt (“stretched”), Danish strakt (“stretched”), Faroese and Norn strekti (“stretched”), Icelandic strekkti (“stretched”), Norwegian strekte (“stretched”), Swedish sträckte (“stretched”). Doublet of straught. Equivalent to stretch + -ed.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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