Synonyms for

Indirectly

Verb / ˌɪndɜ:ˈeˌktli: / Another word for indirectly — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

not in a direct way; not straightforwardly

Synonyms & similar words

directly implicitly impliedly obliquely roundaboutly sideways tacitly underground underhand underhandedly deviously covertly furtively surreptitiously secretly clandestinely privily sneakily

Synonyms by register

Formal

obliquely circuitously tangentially in a roundabout way

Informal

sort of kind of in a way off the record

Literary

obliquely esoterically

Antonyms

directly straight immediately pointedly bluntly frankly openly

Common collocations

  • indirectly related
  • indirectly caused
  • indirectly influence
  • indirectly affect
  • indirectly benefit
  • indirectly contribute
  • indirectly suggest

Word family

noun indirectness
adjective indirect

Usage note

This adverb describes something that is not direct or straightforward. It often implies a subtle or roundabout method of communication or causation.

Example sentences

  1. He indirectly blamed his friend for the broken vase.
  2. She indirectly asked her sister to help her with her homework.
  3. The teacher indirectly suggested that the students should study harder for the upcoming test.
  4. The politician indirectly accused his opponent of lying.
  5. The manager indirectly told his employee that he needed to work on his communication skills.

Quotes

  • 'Indirectly, one learns something new!' - Jules Verne
  • 'I cannot say how strongly I object to people using other people's writing as research. Research is non-fiction, especially for horror, fantasy, sci-fi. Do not take your inspiration from another's fiction. Do not ever do that! You will end up in court. Stay away from research. You are better off making it up as you go along. If you don't know just enough about a subject to write about it without doing a lot of research, then you shouldn't be writing about it. You need to know when to apply brakes.' - Anne Rice
  • 'One can find women who have never had one love affair, but it is rare indeed to find any who have had only one.' - François de La Rochefoucauld

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