direct

{{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}}

verb

1 aim

ADVERB

▪ mainly, mostly, primarily, principally

▪

Tax cuts have been directed primarily at the better-off.

▪

His anger was mostly directed towards/toward Peter.

▪ clearly

▪ straight

▪

He directed the light straight in her face.

▪ specifically

▪ exclusively, solely

▪

The attacks were directed solely at military targets.

PREPOSITION

▪ against

▪

anger directed specifically against ethnic minorities

▪ at

▪

criticism clearly directed at upper management

▪ away from

▪

This merely directs attention away from the real issues.

▪ into

▪

I found myself being directed into a dark room.

▪ onto

▪

The machine directs light onto a special film.

▪ through

▪

a detour that directs you through narrow, dimly lit streets

▪ to

▪

I directed my question to the chairman.

▪ towards/toward

▪

We are directing our efforts towards/toward helping young people.

2 film/movie

ADVERB

▪ expertly, masterfully, skilfully/skillfully

▪

The film is expertly directed and beautifully photographed.

PREPOSITION

▪ by

▪

It was directed by Luc Besson.

▪ with

▪

He directs with flair and sensitivity.

Direct is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑judge, ↑memorandum, ↑picture

Direct is used with these nouns as the object: ↑acquittal, ↑adaptation, ↑aggression, ↑anger, ↑attention, ↑beam, ↑choir, ↑comment, ↑criticism, ↑energy, ↑episode, ↑film, ↑flow, ↑focus, ↑fund, ↑fury, ↑gaze, ↑jury, ↑money, ↑movement, ↑movie, ↑remark, ↑research, ↑talent, ↑thought, ↑thriller, ↑traffic, ↑venom, ↑video, ↑work

{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}

adj.

VERBS

▪ be

ADVERB

▪ extremely, fairly, very, etc.

▪

Her manner can be rather direct.

▪

He asked me some very direct questions.

▪ disconcertingly

▪

his disconcertingly direct gaze

▪ refreshingly

▪

a refreshingly direct discussion of the agency's priorities

▪ emotionally

▪

The album is her most emotionally direct work to date.

Direct is used with these nouns: ↑access, ↑accountability, ↑action, ↑aim, ↑allusion, ↑ancestor, ↑answer, ↑appeal, ↑approach, ↑assault, ↑assistance, ↑association, ↑attack, ↑awareness, ↑bearing, ↑benefit, ↑cause, ↑challenge, ↑channel, ↑command, ↑communication, ↑comparison, ↑competition, ↑competitor, ↑confirmation, ↑conflict, ↑confrontation, ↑connection, ↑consequence, ↑contact, ↑continuation, ↑contradiction, ↑contrast, ↑contravention, ↑control, ↑correlation, ↑correspondence, ↑cost, ↑counterpart, ↑credit, ↑criticism, ↑current, ↑dealings, ↑defiance, ↑democracy, ↑deposit, ↑descendant, ↑descent, ↑dialogue, ↑discrimination, ↑effect, ↑election, ↑encounter, ↑equivalent, ↑evidence, ↑expenditure, ↑experience, ↑exploitation, ↑expression, ↑fashion, ↑feedback, ↑fire, ↑flight, ↑forerunner, ↑funding, ↑gaze, ↑heat, ↑heir, ↑help, ↑hit, ↑imitation, ↑impact, ↑implication, ↑incentive, ↑influence, ↑input, ↑insight, ↑inspiration, ↑instruction, ↑insult, ↑interaction, ↑interest, ↑intervention, ↑investment, ↑involvement, ↑knowledge, ↑line, ↑link, ↑mail, ↑manipulation, ↑marketing, ↑measure, ↑method, ↑negotiation, ↑observation, ↑opposite, ↑opposition, ↑order, ↑outcome, ↑parallel, ↑participation, ↑path, ↑proof, ↑proportion, ↑question, ↑questioning, ↑quotation, ↑quote, ↑recourse, ↑reference, ↑reflection, ↑relation, ↑relationship, ↑relevance, ↑replacement, ↑representation, ↑request, ↑response, ↑responsibility, ↑result, ↑road, ↑role, ↑route, ↑rule, ↑sale, ↑sequel, ↑service, ↑shipment, ↑speech, ↑stake, ↑stimulation, ↑subsidy, ↑sun, ↑sunlight, ↑superior, ↑supervision, ↑supervisor, ↑support, ↑talk, ↑tax, ↑taxation, ↑threat, ↑tie, ↑trade, ↑train, ↑transfer, ↑transition, ↑translation, ↑transmission, ↑violation, ↑vote

{{Roman}}III.{{/Roman}}

adv.

Direct is used with these verbs: ↑dial, ↑mail, ↑order