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direct

If you direct somebody, you tell them where to go or what to do. You can also direct a play or direct someone to a gas station, by telling them what roads to take.

Most uses of direct involving giving orders. Army officers direct battles, which means they plan what to do and how to carry it out. You can direct a kick toward the goal, which means you send the ball flying toward the net. When used as an adjective, direct often means to the point with no beating around the bush. If someone is direct, it means they say what they mean; if a plant is in direct sunlight, it gets a lot of sun.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: direct

1
 adjadvv
direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short
without deviation
direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
2
 adjv
having no intervening persons, agents, conditions
intend (something) to move towards a certain goal
3
 v
command with authority
4
 v
cause to go somewhere
5
 adj
moving from west to east on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in the same direction as the Earth
6
 adj
(of a current) flowing in one direction only
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: direct
1

adj direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short

“a direct route”
“a direct flight”
“a direct hit”
Synonyms
door-to-door
(of e.g. journeys or deliveries) direct from point of origin to point of destination
nonstop
(of a journey especially a flight) occurring without stops
point-blank
close enough to go straight to the target
straightforward
pointed directly ahead
undeviating, unswerving
going directly ahead from one point to another without veering or turning aside
through
(of a route or journey etc.) continuing without requiring stops or changes
straight
having no deviations
Antonyms:
indirect
not direct in spatial dimension; not leading by a straight line or course to a destination
askance, askant, asquint, sidelong, squint, squint-eyed, squinty
(used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy
circuitous, devious, roundabout
deviating from a straight course
diversionary
(of tactics e.g.) likely or designed to confuse or deceive
meandering, rambling, wandering, winding
of a path e.g.
crooked
having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned
show more antonyms...

adj in a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child

“a direct descendant of the king”
“direct heredity”
Synonyms:
lineal
matrilineal, matrilinear
based on or tracing descent through the female line
patrilineal, patrilinear
based on or tracing descent through the male line
unilateral
tracing descent from either the paternal or the maternal line only
related
connected by kinship, common origin, or marriage
Antonyms:
collateral, indirect
descended from a common ancestor but through different lines
related
connected by kinship, common origin, or marriage
show more antonyms...

adv without deviation

“went direct to the office”
Synonyms:
directly, straight

v direct the course; determine the direction of travelling

Synonyms:
channelise, channelize, guide, head, maneuver, manoeuver, manoeuvre, point, steer
Types:
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dock
maneuver into a dock
sheer
cause to sheer
pull over
steer a vehicle to the side of the road
helm
be at or take the helm of
crab
direct (an aircraft) into a crosswind
navigate
direct carefully and safely
stand out
steer away from shore, of ships
starboard
turn to the right, of helms or rudders
conn
conduct or direct the steering of a ship or plane
navigate, pilot
act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyance
canalise, canalize, channel
direct the flow of
corner, tree
force a person or an animal into a position from which he cannot escape
park
maneuver a vehicle into a parking space
dry-dock, drydock
maneuver (a ship) into a drydock
astrogate
guide in interplanetary travel
angle-park
park at an angle
parallel-park
park directly behind another vehicle
double-park
park a vehicle alongside another
Type of:
command, control
exercise authoritative control or power over
2

adj having no intervening persons, agents, conditions

“in direct sunlight”
“in direct contact with the voters”
“direct exposure to the disease”
“a direct link”
“the direct cause of the accident”
“direct vote”
Synonyms:
unmediated
immediate
having no intervening medium

adj lacking compromising or mitigating elements; exact

“the direct opposite”
Synonyms
absolute
perfect or complete or pure

adj in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker

“a direct quotation”
Synonyms:
verbatim
exact
marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact

adj similar in nature or effect or relation to another quantity

“a term is in direct proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other increases (or decreases)”
Antonyms:
inverse
opposite in nature or effect or relation to another quantity
reciprocal
of or relating to the multiplicative inverse of a quantity or function
show more antonyms...

adj being an immediate result or consequence

“a direct result of the accident”
Synonyms
primary
of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary

adj straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action

“a direct question”
“a direct response”
“a direct approach”
Synonyms
bluff
bluntly direct and outspoken but good-natured
blunt, candid, forthright, frank, free-spoken, outspoken, plainspoken, point-blank, straight-from-the-shoulder
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
brutal
disagreeably direct and precise
flat-footed
without reservation
man-to-man
forthright and honest
no-nonsense
not tolerating irrelevancies
plain, unvarnished
free from any effort to soften to disguise
pointed
direct and obvious in meaning or reference; often unpleasant
square, straight, straightforward
without evasion or compromise
upfront
frank and honest
honest, honorable
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
Antonyms:
indirect
extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action
allusive
characterized by indirect references
backhanded
roundabout or ambiguous
circuitous, roundabout
marked by obliqueness or indirection in speech or conduct
ambagious, circumlocutious, circumlocutory, periphrastic
roundabout and unnecessarily wordy
devious, oblique
indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading
digressive, discursive, excursive, rambling
(of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects
hearsay
heard through another rather than directly
mealy-mouthed, mealymouthed
hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy
tortuous
not straightforward
show more antonyms...

v intend (something) to move towards a certain goal

“criticism directed at her superior”
“direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself”
Synonyms:
aim, place, point, target
Types:
address
direct a question at someone
home in, range in, zero in
direct onto a point or target, especially by automatic navigational aids
Type of:
aim, take, take aim, train
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

v point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

Synonyms:
aim, take, take aim, train
Types:
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aim, place, point, target
intend (something) to move towards a certain goal
draw a bead on
aim with a gun
hold
aim, point, or direct
turn
direct at someone
swing
hit or aim at with a sweeping arm movement
charge, level, point
direct into a position for use
level
aim at
sight
take aim by looking through the sights of a gun (or other device)
address
direct a question at someone
home in, range in, zero in
direct onto a point or target, especially by automatic navigational aids
Type of:
position
cause to be in an appropriate place, state, or relation
3

v command with authority

“He directed the children to do their homework”
Types:
stet
printing: direct that a matter marked for omission or correction is to be retained (used in the imperative)
Type of:
enjoin, order, say, tell
give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority

v be in charge of

Types:
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give, have, hold, make, throw
organize or be responsible for
guide, steer
be a guiding or motivating force or drive
head, lead
be in charge of
operate, run
direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.
administer
direct the taking of
financier
conduct financial operations, often in an unethical manner
chair, chairman
act or preside as chair, as of an academic department in a university
captain
be the captain of a sports team
spearhead
be the leader of
take charge, take control, take hold
assume control
work
operate in or through
block
run on a block system
warm up
run until the normal working temperature is reached
Type of:
care, deal, handle, manage
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

v lead, as in the performance of a composition

Synonyms:
conduct, lead
conduct
lead musicians in the performance of
Type of:
do, execute, perform
carry out or perform an action

v guide the actors in (plays and films)

Types:
stage direct
direct for the stage
Type of:
create, make
make or cause to be or to become

v plan and direct (a complex undertaking)

Synonyms:
engineer, mastermind, orchestrate, organise, organize
Types:
choreograph
plan and oversee the development and details of
Type of:
plan
make plans for something

v specifically design a product, event, or activity for a certain public

Synonyms:
aim, calculate
Type of:
designate, destine, intend, specify
design or destine
4

v cause to go somewhere

“He directed all his energies into his dissertation”
Synonyms:
send
Types:
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cast, contrive, project, throw
put or send forth
turn
channel one's attention, interest, thought, or attention toward or away from something
turn
to send or let go
divert
send on a course or in a direction different from the planned or intended one
route
send via a specific route
refer
send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision
airt, redirect
channel into a new direction
blow
cause air to go in, on, or through
subject, submit
refer for judgment or consideration
route
divert in a specified direction
recommit
send back to a committee
sublimate
direct energy or urges into useful activities
deviate
cause to turn away from a previous or expected course
shoot
send forth suddenly, intensely, swiftly
blast
apply a draft or strong wind to to
take up
turn one's interest to
Type of:
displace, move
cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense

v take somebody somewhere

Synonyms:
conduct, guide, lead, take
Types:
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beacon
guide with a beacon
hand
guide or conduct or usher somewhere
lead astray, misdirect, misguide, mislead
lead someone in the wrong direction or give someone wrong directions
show, usher
take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums
marshal
lead ceremoniously, as in a procession

v give directions to; point somebody into a certain direction

“I directed them towards the town hall”
Types:
talk down
direct and control (the flight of an airplane during landing) via radio
point the way
indicate the right path or direction
Type of:
apprise, apprize, instruct
make aware of

v put an address on (an envelope)

Synonyms:
address
Types:
misaddress, misdirect
put a wrong address on
instrument
address a legal document to
re-address
put a new address on (an envelope), as for forwarding
Type of:
label
assign a label to; designate with a label
5

adj moving from west to east on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in the same direction as the Earth

Antonyms:
retrograde
moving from east to west on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in a direction opposite to that of the Earth
6

adj (of a current) flowing in one direction only

“direct current”
Antonyms:
alternating
(of a current) reversing direction
Launch
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