straighten
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straighten
- /ˈstɹeɪtn̩/
Rhymes with -eɪtən
Where it comes from
From straight + -en. Compare Scots strauchten (“to straighten”).
verb straightens · straightening · straightened
- To cause to become straight. [S]o / Do these upbear the little world below / Of Education,—Patience, Love, and Hope. / Methinks, I see them group'd in seemly show, / The straiten'd arms upraised, the palms aslope, / And robes that touching as adown they flow, / Distinctly blend, like snow emboss'd in snow.
- To become straight.
- To put in order; to sort; to tidy up. to straighten one's affairs
- To clarify a situation or concept to (an audience).
- To bribe or corrupt.
- To stand up, especially from a sitting position.
- To make heterosexual. It has been said that to survive in this Wasp society, Blacks must straighten their hair, Jews must straighten their noses, and Gays must straighten themselves. But we will no longer tolerate being straightened. It is the doctors and the straight society who must change.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: straighten out, square away, neaten, tidy up, clean up, rise, roll out, unbend, tidy, remedy, rectify, adjust, redress, settle, resolve, replace
Translations
Every language
verb to become straight
| Русский | выпрямля́ться vyprjamljátʹsja, вы́прямиться výprjamitʹsja |
|---|---|
| العربية | اِسْتَقَامَ istaqāma |
verb to make straight
| Español | estirar, desencorvar, destorcer, enderezar, arrectar |
|---|---|
| Português | endireitar, alisar |
| Français | redresser |
| Italiano | drizzare |
| Română | îndrepta |
| Русский | выпрямля́ть vyprjamljátʹ, вы́прямить výprjamitʹ |
verb to make heterosexual
| 中文 | 掰直 bāizhí |
|---|
Talk about this word "straighten." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/straighten. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. straighten. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/straighten "straighten." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/straighten.Cite this
@misc{straighten_2026,
title = {straighten},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/straighten},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
