ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Directly

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/ · Part of speech adverb

Quick meaning: Directly is an adverb meaning In a direct manner; in a straight line or course.

Meaning

In a direct manner; in a straight line or course.

More Meanings

  1. In a straightforward way; without anything intervening; not by secondary but by direct means.
  2. Plainly, without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms.
  3. Exactly; just; at the shortest possible distance.
  4. Straightforwardly; honestly.
  5. (dated) Immediately.
  6. (chiefly dated or dialect, including Midlands, Cornwall, Southern US) Soon; next; in due time; as soon as it becomes convenient.
  7. (chiefly British) As soon as; immediately (elliptical for directly that/as/when)

Example Sentences

It's directly across the street.
I'm going to tell Natalie directly that I love her.
I'm sick of asking you to fire him; I'll just do it directly.
To put it more directly: he's not 'made redundant' but sacked.

Synonyms for directly

Depending on context, synonyms include straightwise, undeviatingly, bluntly, clearly, downrightly, unambiguously.

Antonyms for directly

Common opposites include circuitously, indirectly, later.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include direct, straight, instantly, forthwith, immediately, now.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.