direct

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

v. t. guide, lead; regulate, govern, conduct, head, manage, supervise, boss, rule; aim, point; order, command, prescribe, bid, instruct, teach, coach, prompt; show or lead the way; address. See authority. —adj. straight, undeviating (see direction); blunt (see discourtesy).

II

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Without divergence]

Syn. straight, in a straight line, straight ahead, undeviating, uninterrupted, right, unswerving, linear, straightaway, shortest, nonstop, through, in a bee line, as the crow flies, straight as an arrow, point-blank; see also straight 1 .

Ant. zigzag*, roundabout, crooked.

2. [Frank]

Syn. straightforward, outspoken, candid; see frank , honest 1 .

3. [With nothing or no one intervening]

Syn. immediate, firsthand, unmediated, close, personal, primary, verbatim; see also literal 1 .

v.

1. [To show the way]

Syn. conduct, show, guide, steer; see lead 1 .

2. [To decide the course of affairs]

Syn. regulate, govern, influence; see command 2 , manage 1 .

3. [To teach]

Syn. inform, instruct, give directions; see advise 1 , teach 1 .

4. [To address]

Syn. deliver, lecture, read; see address 2 .

5. [To aim]

Syn. point, train, level, focus; see aim 2 .

6. [To command]

Syn. order, bid, charge; see command 1 .

7. [To direct one's effort]

Syn. strive, address oneself, focus; see apply oneself , try 1 , undertake .

8. [To write directions on a letter or package]

Syn. inscribe, label, designate; see address 1 , mark 1 , 2 .

See Synonym Study at command , manage .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

v.

1. conduct manage, orchestrate, guide, control, *head up, oversee, supervise, *quarterback, *call the shots, *be in the driver's seat, boss.

2. aim point, guide, train, indicate, target, steer, orient, show, usher.

3. address focus, devote, fix, funnel, aim.

ANT.: 1. follow, obey

II

a.

1. straightforward frank, honest, explicit, forthright, point-blank, blunt, open, unequivocal, candid.

2. undeviating straight, unswerving, true, *as the crow flies, *in a beeline.

3. immediate unimpeded, firsthand, face-to-face.

ANT.: 1. indirect, mealy-mouthed, roundabout. 2. roundabout, deviating, circuitous. 3. second-hand, indirect

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To have charge of (the affairs of others): administer, administrate, govern, head, manage, run, superintend, supervise. See OVER. 2. To control the course of (an activity): carry on, conduct, manage, operate, run, steer. See OVER. 3. To exercise authority or influence over: control, dominate, govern, rule. Idioms: be at the helm, be in the driver's seat, hold sway over, hold the reins. See OVER. 4. To give orders to: bid, charge, command, enjoin, instruct, order, tell. See OVER, WORDS. 5. To devote (oneself or one's efforts): address, apply, bend, buckle down, concentrate, dedicate, devote, focus, give, turn. See COLLECT, WORK. 6. To show the way to: conduct, escort, guide, lead, pilot, route, shepherd, show, steer, usher. See SHOW. 7. To move (a weapon or blow, for example) in the direction of someone or something: aim, cast, head, level, point, set1, train, turn, zero in. Military: lay1. See SEEK. 8. To mark (a written communication) with its destination: address, superscribe. See START. II adjective 1. Proceeding or lying in an uninterrupted line or course: straight, straightforward, through. See STRAIGHT. 2. Manifesting honesty and directness, especially in speech: candid, downright, forthright, frank, honest, ingenuous, man-to-man, open, plainspoken, straight, straightforward, straight-out, unreserved. Informal: straight-from-the-shoulder, straight-shooting. See CLEAR, SHOW. 3. Marked by the absence of any intervention: firsthand, immediate, primary. See CLEAR, NEAR. 4. Of unbroken descent or lineage: lineal. See CONTINUE. III adverb 1. In a direct line: dead, directly, due, right, straight, straightaway. See STRAIGHT. 2. With precision or absolute conformity: bang, dead, directly, exactly, fair, flush, just, precisely, right, smack1, square, squarely, straight. Slang: smack-dab. See PRECISE.