indirect
Something indirect is not hitting the target exactly. Indirect sunlight doesn't shine right on you — it reflects off a window or is muted by a shade.
If direct makes you think of a straight line, then indirect looks like a crooked one — there are turns and stops along the way. People who are sneaky might get what they want through indirect means, like going behind people's backs. If you go to school using side streets and back roads, that's an indirect path. Anything indirect is not taking the quickest or shortest route, but sometimes being indirect gets the job done.
Definitions of indirect
-
not direct in spatial dimension; not leading by a straight line or course to a destination“sometimes taking an indirect path saves time”“you must take an indirect course in sailing”
-
Synonyms:
-
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
-
Antonyms:
-
direct
direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short
-
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
- show more antonyms...
-
askance, askant, asquint, sidelong, squint, squint-eyed, squinty
-
not as a direct effect or consequence“indirect benefits”“an indirect advantage”
-
Synonyms:
-
secondary
being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate
-
secondary
-
extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action“making indirect but legitimate inquiries”“an indirect insult”“doubtless they had some indirect purpose in mind”“though his methods are indirect they are not dishonest”“known as a shady indirect fellow”
-
Synonyms:
-
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
-
Antonyms:
-
direct
straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action
-
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
- show more antonyms...
-
allusive
-
having intervening factors or persons or influences“reflection from the ceiling provided a soft indirect light”“indirect evidence”“an indirect cause”
-
Synonyms:
-
mediate
acting through or dependent on an intervening agency
-
mediate
-
descended from a common ancestor but through different lines“an indirect descendant of the Stuarts”
-
synonyms:
collateral
-
related
connected by kinship, common origin, or marriage
-
Antonyms:
-
direct, lineal
in a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child
-
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
- show more antonyms...
-
related
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘indirect'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up indirect for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
