Straightforward — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /ˌstrāt-ˈfȯr-wərd/ straight·for·ward

Meaning & Definition of Straightforward

Straightforward (adjective)

  1. free from evasiveness or obscurity, exact, candid
  2. clear-cut, precise
  3. easy to do

Straightforward (adverb)

  1. in a straightforward manner

Straightforward (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. going straight to the point clearly and firmly

    "a straightforward account of the football game with no digressions or personal comments"

    similar: direct, forthright, foursquare, plain, straight
    related: aboveboard, candid, frank, free-spoken, honest, open, openhearted, outspoken, plainspoken, unguarded, unreserved, artless, earnest, sincere, uninhibited, unrestrained, abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, gruff, point-blank, sharp, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, tactless, undiplomatic, true, truthful, veracious
    opposite: circuitous, indirect, roundabout
    near: circumlocutory, long-winded, prolix, verbose, wordy, inhibited, reserved, restrained, civil, courteous, polite, tactful, deceitful, lying, mendacious, untruthful, erroneous, fallacious, false, ambiguous, equivocal, evasive, misleading, double-dealing, hypocritical, two-faced

  2. free from irregularities or digressions in course

    "the missile continued on its straightforward path toward the enemy's command post"

    similar: direct, linear, right, straight, straightaway
    related: unbent, uncurled, untwisted, undeviating, unswerving
    near: bowed, rounded, entwined, kinked, swirled, turned, turning, twined, twining, twisted, twisting, veering, warped, bending, coiled, coiling, corkscrew, curled, curling, curved, curving, looped, looping, spiral, spiraling, wavy, winding, meandering, weaving, devious, serpentine, sinuous, crooked, zigzag, zigzagging

  3. free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions

    "I want you to be straightforward with me and tell me if this dress looks awful"

    similar: candid, direct, forthcoming, forthright, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, freehearted, honest, open, openhearted, out-front, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straight, unguarded, unreserved, up-front
    related: artless, earnest, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive, natural, real, sincere, unaffected, undesigning, unpretending, unpretentious, outgoing, uninhibited, unrestrained, vocal, vociferous, abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, gruff, sharp, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, tactless, thoughtless, uncivil, undiplomatic, ungracious, unmannerly, unsubtle
    opposite: dissembling, uncandid, unforthcoming
    near: inhibited, reserved, restrained, close-mouthed, laconic, quiet, reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, uncommunicative, ambiguous, circuitous, equivocal, evasive, diplomatic, politic, tactful, civil, considerate, courteous, polite

  4. not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation

    "the distinction between the two types of offenses is pretty straightforward"

    similar: apparent, bald, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, pellucid, perspicuous, plain, ringing, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unequivocal, unmistakable
    related: cognizable, cognoscible, comprehendible, comprehensible, digestible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, understandable, self-evident, self-explanatory, clean-cut, simple, tidy, uncomplicated, overt, undisguised, appreciable, perceptible, recognizable, sensible, tangible, discernible, noticeable, observable, visible, black-and-white, explicit, trenchant, well-defined, clean, decipherable, fair, legible, readable
    opposite: ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear
    near: incomprehensible, indecipherable, unfathomable, unintelligible, unknowable, impalpable, imperceptible, inappreciable, indiscernible, insensible, cloudy, gauzy, gray, hazy, imprecise, indefinite, indeterminate, misty, murky, nebulous, noncommittal, sketchy, slippery, subtle, vague, illegible, undecipherable, unreadable

Straightforward (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in an honest and direct manner

    "she finally told him straightforward that she wasn't interested in a date"

    similar: directly, forthrightly, foursquare, plain, plainly, straight, straightforwardly
    related: baldly, bluffly, candidly, frankly, honestly, openheartedly, openly, unguardedly, unreservedly, artlessly, earnestly, simply, sincerely, abruptly, bluntly, brusquely, curtly, gruffly, point-blank, sharply, impolitely, inconsiderately, rudely, tactlessly, truthfully, veraciously
    near: long-windedly, verbosely, wordily, civilly, courteously, diplomatically, politely, tactfully, deceitfully, mendaciously, untruthfully, erroneously, fallaciously, falsely, hypocritically, insincerely, ambiguously, circuitously, equivocally, evasively, indirectly

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Straightforward

The most common words with a similar meaning to Straightforward:

direct, forthright, foursquare, plain, straight, linear, right, straightaway, candid, forthcoming, frank, free-spoken, freehearted, honest, open, openhearted, out-front, outspoken, plainspoken, unguarded, unreserved, up-front, apparent, bald, bald-faced, barefaced, bright-line, broad, clear, clear-cut, crystal clear, decided, distinct, evident, lucid, luculent, luminous, manifest, nonambiguous, obvious

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Straightforward

Words with the opposite meaning of Straightforward:

circuitous, indirect, roundabout, dissembling, uncandid, unforthcoming, ambiguous, clouded, cryptic, dark, enigmatic, equivocal, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obfuscated, obscure, unapparent, unclarified, unclear

Related Words for Straightforward

aboveboard, artless, earnest, sincere, uninhibited, unrestrained, abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, gruff, point-blank, sharp, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, tactless, undiplomatic, true, truthful, veracious, unbent, uncurled, untwisted, undeviating, unswerving, guileless, ingenuous, innocent

Near Antonyms of Straightforward

circumlocutory, long-winded, prolix, verbose, wordy, inhibited, reserved, restrained, civil, courteous, polite, tactful, deceitful, lying, mendacious, untruthful, erroneous, fallacious, false, evasive, misleading, double-dealing, hypocritical, two-faced, bowed, rounded, entwined, kinked, swirled, turned

Word Forms of Straightforward

Derived words: straightforwardly (adverb), straightforwardness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Straightforward

First known use: 1787

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Straightforward

Frequently Asked Questions about Straightforward

What does "Straightforward" mean?

"Straightforward" means free from evasiveness or obscurity, exact, candid. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: free from evasiveness or obscurity, exact, candid. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Straightforward"?

Other words for "Straightforward" include direct, forthright, foursquare, plain, straight, linear, right and straightaway. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Straightforward" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Straightforward"?

There are 163 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Straightforward". Common alternatives include direct, forthright, foursquare, plain, straight, linear, right, straightaway, candid and forthcoming.

What is the opposite of "Straightforward"?

Antonyms of "Straightforward" include circuitous, indirect, roundabout, dissembling, uncandid, unforthcoming, ambiguous and clouded. Near antonyms include circumlocutory, long-winded, prolix and verbose.

How do you use "Straightforward" in a sentence?

Examples of "Straightforward" in a sentence: "a straightforward account of the football game with no digressions or personal comments"; "the missile continued on its straightforward path toward the enemy's command post"; "I want you to be straightforward with me and tell me if this dress looks awful".

Is "Straightforward" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Straightforward" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Straightforward" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Straightforward" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Straightforward"?

"Straightforward" is pronounced /ˌstrāt-ˈfȯr-wərd/ and divided into syllables as straight·for·ward.