Directly does five different jobs, so picking a directly synonym starts with spotting the job it does in your sentence: straight for routes, immediately for time, personally for contact, frankly for speech and exactly for position. Grab a word from the wrong set and your reader may picture a train route when you meant a phone call.
Each of those jobs has its own word list on this page, along with real swaps, the British habit of using directly to mean as soon as, and the opposites. Need another word for directly in an email right now? The work writing section near the middle covers that.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
straight, immediately, personally, franklyPart of speech
Adverb (also a conjunction in British English)Most formal
forthwith, candidlyMost casual
straight, right away, dead (dead ahead)Antonyms
indirectly, secondhand, evasivelyWatch out
Directly in British speech can mean soon, not now: "I'll be with you directly." Readers elsewhere may take it as at once.
Directly synonym table: route, contact, time, speech, place
| Meaning | Swap with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Route or path | straight, nonstop | The bus goes straight to the airport. |
| No go-between | personally, in person, firsthand | I spoke to the landlord in person. |
| Time | immediately, right away, at once | Call me right away if the alarm goes off. |
| Manner of speaking | frankly, plainly, bluntly | She told him plainly that the plan would fail. |
| Position | exactly, right, squarely | The cafe is right across from the station. |
Before and after: directly swapped out
- Fly directly to Denver becomes fly nonstop to Denver.
- Contact the manager directly becomes contact the manager personally.
- Please reply directly becomes please reply right away (only if you mean time).
- He asked me directly whether I was leaving becomes he asked me point-blank whether I was leaving.
- The sun was directly overhead becomes the sun was right overhead.
- The delay is directly linked to the strike becomes the delay is closely linked to the strike.
That last one adds one more shade: directly as in a strong, plain cause. Closely, clearly and specifically all cover it, depending on how firm the link is. See specifically synonyms for the narrow version.
Speaking directly: frank, blunt or plain
When directly describes how someone talks, the synonyms differ in warmth. Frankly and candidly sound honest and fair. Plainly is neutral. Bluntly hints that the words may sting, and point-blank adds force, often for a refusal.
Picture texting your roommate: "Can I be direct? That haircut is not working." Changing it to "Can I be honest?" softens the opening, while "I'll be blunt" warns them to brace.
Work emails and essays
In business writing, directly often means without going through someone else: "send the invoice directly to accounts." Straight to accounts is more casual, and you can often just drop the adverb.
In essays, directly usually signals cause. "Pollution directly affects asthma rates" can become "pollution has a clear effect on asthma rates." Other connectors are grouped under linking words for essays, and clearly synonyms helps if your point is about how obvious something is.
Directly as a conjunction
In British English, directly can join two clauses and mean as soon as: "Directly the bell rang, the children ran out." Readers in the US rarely use it this way. Safer options anywhere are as soon as, the moment and once.
The opposite of directly
Indirectly is the general opposite. For routes, use circuitously or by a roundabout way. For information, use secondhand. For speech, evasively or vaguely. For time, the contrast is simply later or eventually.
- I heard the news secondhand.
- He answered evasively and changed the subject.
Frequently asked questions
Directly feels too casual for a legal letter. Options?
Immediately and forthwith are formal choices for the time sense. Forthwith sounds legal or old-fashioned, so use it sparingly. For contact, personally is polite and formal enough for any letter.
Does directly mean immediately?
It can, but not always. It also means in a straight line, with no one in between, and openly. In British speech it can even mean soon, so immediately is clearer when timing matters.
How else can I phrase contact me directly?
Try "reach me personally," "get in touch with me" or "message me at this address." Each keeps the idea that no assistant or team inbox sits in between.
Is direct or directly correct after a verb?
Both appear. "Fly direct" and "fly directly" are both accepted for routes. In formal writing directly is the safer form, while direct sounds more casual.
Directly versus indirectly: any other contrasts?
Indirectly is the usual antonym. Secondhand, circuitously and evasively are more specific opposites for information, routes and speech.