directly

comparative more directly · superlative most directly

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

   He drove directly to the office, and didn't stop off at the petrol station.

   2 more examples

   On arriving at the doors, and entering a long, capacious passage, our eyes became quite dazzled by the gleams of colored light which shone upon them, both directly and reflectedly.

   1855, William Wells Brown, Sketches of Places and People Abroad, page 255

   It is more difficult to directly compare train operations and maintenance, given how fragmented the non-infrastructure segments of the industry are today.

   2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 46

   Synonyms: straightwise, undeviatingly

2. In a straightforward way; without anything intervening; not by secondary but by direct means.

   I'm sick of asking you to fire him; I'll just do it directly.

3. Plainly, without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms.

   I'm going to tell Natalie directly that I love her.

   2 more examples

   To put it more directly: he's not 'made redundant' but sacked.

   "Mujtahidd" has attracted almost 300,000 followers since the end of last year, when he began posting scandalous claims about the Saudi elite. In one tweet, Mujtahidd directly challenged Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd about his political history: "Did you resign or were you forced to resign from your post as head of the diwan [office] of the council of ministers?"

   2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian

   Synonyms: bluntly

4. Exactly; just; at the shortest possible distance.

   It's directly across the street.

   1 more example

   The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,[…]. Scribes, illuminators, and scholars held such stones directly over manuscript pages as an aid in seeing what was being written, drawn, or read.

   2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist

   Synonyms: accurately

5. Straightforwardly; honestly.

   He told me directly that he'd cheated on me, and how sorry he was for it.

   Synonyms: frankly, truthfully

6. datedImmediately.

   Synonyms: forthwith

7. CornwallMidlandsSouthern USdateddialectalincludingSoon; next; in due time; as soon as it becomes convenient.

   We'll go to the store directly, but first I need to finish sweeping.

   Synonyms: betimes

1. BritishAs soon as; immediately (elliptical for directly that/as/when).

   He is to go to Calais, directly this is over, to replace Lord Berners as governor [...].

   2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate, published 2010, page 463

   2 more examples

   “He is, he is," Nastenka repeated. “He is here, and I know it. We made an agreement at the time, that evening, before he went away: when we said all that I have told you, and had come to an understanding, then we came out here for a walk on this embankment. It was ten o'clock; we sat on this seat. I was not crying then; it was sweet to me to hear what he said.... And he said that he would come to us directly he arrived, and if I did not refuse him, then we would tell grandmother about it all. Now he is here, I know it, and yet he does not come!"

   1918, Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett, White Nights, page 54

   Tenderly, reluctantly, he took his leave of her, promising that he would contact her directly he got back, perhaps in ten days or so.

   1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 725