All 50 Uses of
direct
in
War and Peace
- His conversation always related entirely to himself; he would remain calm and silent when the talk related to any topic that had no direct bearing on himself.†
Chpt 1
- The princess, who had a straight, rigid body, abnormally long for her legs, looked directly at Prince Vasili with no sign of emotion in her prominent gray eyes.
Chpt 1 (definition 1)directly = straight (exactly where stated; used for emphasis)
- "You know, Catiche, that we—you three sisters, Mamontov, and my wife—are the count's only direct heirs.†
Chpt 1
- But…. in short, the fact is…. you know yourself that last winter the count made a will by which he left all his property, not to us his direct heirs, but to Pierre.†
Chpt 1
- And the commander, turning to look at the adjutant, directed his jerky steps down the line.†
Chpt 2
- Also, as we are masters of Ulm, we cannot be deprived of the advantage of commanding both sides of the Danube, so that should the enemy not cross the Lech, we can cross the Danube, throw ourselves on his line of communications, recross the river lower down, and frustrate his intention should he try to direct his whole force against our faithful ally.†
Chpt 2
- But Rostov pulled away his arm and, with as much anger as though Denisov were his worst enemy, firmly fixed his eyes directly on his face.†
Chpt 2 (definition 3)
- Two were misdirected and the shot went too high, but the last round fell in the midst of a group of hussars and knocked three of them over.†
Chpt 2
- The officers directing the march rode backward and forward between the carts.†
Chpt 2
- Directly opposite to him came a strange one-horse vehicle, evidently rigged up by soldiers out of any available materials and looking like something between a cart, a cabriolet, and a caleche.
Chpt 2 (definition 1)directly = exactly
- In the center, where Tushin's battery stood and from which Prince Andrew was surveying the position, was the easiest and most direct descent and ascent to the brook separating us from Schon Grabern.†
Chpt 2
- Prince Andrew listened attentively to Bagration's colloquies with the commanding officers and the orders he gave them and, to his surprise, found that no orders were really given, but that Prince Bagration tried to make it appear that everything done by necessity, by accident, or by the will of subordinate commanders was done, if not by his direct command, at least in accord with his intentions.†
Chpt 2
- But much as all the rest laughed, talked, and joked, much as they enjoyed their Rhine wine, saute, and ices, and however they avoided looking at the young couple, and heedless and unobservant as they seemed of them, one could feel by the occasional glances they gave that the story about Sergey Kuzmich, the laughter, and the food were all a pretense, and that the whole attention of that company was directed to—Pierre and Helene.†
Chpt 3
- The prince never directly asked himself that question, knowing beforehand that he would have to answer it justly, and justice clashed not only with his feelings but with the very possibility of life.
Chpt 3 (definition 2)directly = in a straightforward manner
- I will myself direct your battalions.†
Chpt 3
- After five o'clock it was only at the Augesd Dam that a hot cannonade (delivered by the French alone) was still to be heard from numerous batteries ranged on the slopes of the Pratzen Heights, directed at our retreating forces.
Chpt 3 (definition 3)directed = aimed, or intended for
- Directly!
Chpt 4 (definition 4) *directly = immediately
- Pierre, with a gentle smile of pity and remorse, his arms and legs helplessly spread out, stood with his broad chest directly facing Dolokhov looked sorrowfully at him.
Chpt 4 (definition 1)directly = exactly where stated (used for emphasis)
- Directly Rostov entered the door he was enveloped by a smell of putrefaction and hospital air.†
Chpt 5 (definition 3)
- If only I were to hand the letter direct to him and tell him all…. could they really arrest me for my civilian clothes?†
Chpt 5
- He'll be coming out directly, we must go.
Chpt 5 (definition 4)directly = immediately
- But besides considerations of foreign policy, the attention of Russian society was at that time keenly directed on the internal changes that were being undertaken in all the departments of government.†
Chpt 5
- It is impossible to eradicate the passions; but we must strive to direct them to a noble aim, and it is therefore necessary that everyone should be able to satisfy his passions within the limits of virtue.†
Chpt 6
- Directly!
Chpt 6 (definition 4)directly = immediately
- Directly!
Chpt 6 (definition 4)
- At the card table he happened to be directly facing Natasha, and was struck by a curious change that had come over her since the ball.
Chpt 6 (definition 1) *directly = exactly where stated (used for emphasis)
- Already then, directly I saw him I felt something peculiar.†
Chpt 6 (definition 3)
- This irritability is, as you know, chiefly directed to political questions.†
Chpt 6
- In imagination she already pictured herself by Theodosia's side, dressed in coarse rags, walking with a staff, a wallet on her back, along the dusty road, directing her wanderings from one saint's shrine to another, free from envy, earthly love, or desire, and reaching at last the place where there is no more sorrow or sighing, but eternal joy and bliss.†
Chpt 6
- "How is it you didn't go head over heels?" asked the boldest of all, addressing Natasha directly.†
Chpt 7 (definition 3)
- The countess had written direct to Julie's mother in Moscow suggesting a marriage between their children and had received a favorable answer from her.†
Chpt 7
- Don't look; I shall cry directly."†
Chpt 7 (definition 3)
- But what distressed the princess most of all was her father's irritability, which was always directed against her and had of late amounted to cruelty.
Chpt 8 (definition 3)directed = aimed or focused
- Natasha kept looking uneasily at everybody with wide-open eyes, as if wishing to intercept every glance directed toward her, and tried to appear the same as usual.
Chpt 8 (definition 3)
- "Come into the courtyard or you'll be seen; she'll come out directly," said she.
Chpt 8 (definition 4)directly = immediately
- All the efforts of those who surrounded the sovereign seemed directed merely to making him spend his time pleasantly and forget that war was impending.
Chpt 9 (definition 3)directed = aimed
- "A sovereign should not be with the army unless he is a general!" said Napoleon, evidently uttering these words as a direct challenge to the Emperor.
Chpt 9 (definition 2) *direct = clear
- So little was his rejoinder appreciated that Napoleon did not notice it at all and naively asked Balashev through what towns the direct road from there to Moscow passed.
Chpt 9 (definition 1)direct = straightest or quickest
- Before joining the Western Army which was then, in May, encamped at Drissa, Prince Andrew visited Bald Hills which was directly on his way, being only two miles off the Smolensk highroad.†
Chpt 9 (definition 3)
- Involuntarily feeling this at dinner on the first day, he was taciturn, and the old prince noticing this also became morosely dumb and retired to his apartments directly after dinner.
Chpt 9 (definition 4)directly = immediately
- The adjutants general were there because they always accompanied the Emperor, and lastly and chiefly Pfuel was there because he had drawn up the plan of campaign against Napoleon and, having induced Alexander to believe in the efficacy of that plan, was directing the whole business of the war.†
Chpt 9
- The second party was directly opposed to the first; one extreme, as always happens, was met by representatives of the other.†
Chpt 9 (definition 3)
- All the men of this party were fishing for rubles, decorations, and promotions, and in this pursuit watched only the weathercock of imperial favor, and directly they noticed it turning in any direction, this whole drone population of the army began blowing hard that way, so that it was all the harder for the Emperor to turn it elsewhere.†
Chpt 9 (definition 3)
- Believe me, directly the war is over, if I am still alive and still loved by you, I will throw up everything and fly to you, to press you forever to my ardent breast.†
Chpt 9 (definition 3)
- After standing some time in the gateway, Petya tried to move forward in front of the others without waiting for all the carriages to pass, and he began resolutely working his way with his elbows, but the woman just in front of him, who was the first against whom he directed his efforts, angrily shouted at him: "What are you shoving for, young lordling?†
Chpt 9
- Not only did no one see this, but on the Russian side every effort was made to hinder the only thing that could save Russia, while on the French side, despite Napoleon's experience and so-called military genius, every effort was directed to pushing on to Moscow at the end of the summer, that is, to doing the very thing that was bound to lead to destruction.†
Chpt 10
- By the Emperor's orders Bagration reported direct to him.†
Chpt 10
- In this letter Prince Andrew pointed out to his father the danger of staying at Bald Hills, so near the theater of war and on the army's direct line of march, and advised him to move to Moscow.
Chpt 10 (definition 1)direct = without anything in between
- The latter was very attentive to Anna Pavlovna because he wanted to be appointed director of one of the educational establishments for young ladies.†
Chpt 10 (definition 5)
- The "man of great merit," despite his desire to obtain the post of director, could not refrain from reminding Prince Vasili of his former opinion.†
Chpt 10 (definition 5)
Definitions:
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(1) (direct as in: directly above; or buy direct from) straight (exactly where stated); or without involvement of anything in betweenThe exact meaning of this sense of direct is subject to its context. For example:
- "The road runs directly to Las Vegas." -- straight (without varying from a straight line)
- "It was a direct hit." -- exact
- "The plant is in direct sunlight." -- unobstructed (without anything in between)
- "She wants a direct meeting with him." -- personal (without other people in between)
- "She paid direct attention to what he was reading." -- close
- "a direct gaze" -- straight, steady, or focused--not a brief glance taken while generally looking at other things; not a sideways look
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(2) (direct as in: was direct in my instructions) straightforward (uncomplicated or simple -- perhaps also indicating openness and honesty, or little concern for others' feelings)
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(3) (direct as in: directed her question to) to indicate direction; or to cause movement or focus in a direction or towards an objectThe exact meaning of this sense of direct is subject to its context. For example:
- "intentionally directed fire at unarmed civilians" -- aimed a gun
- "directed the question to her" -- aimed a question
- "directed her north" -- pointed in a particular direction
- "directed attention to the 3rd paragraph" -- focused attention on a particular object
- "The sound of her voice directed him to the kitchen." -- guided or gave directions to someone to help them move to a particular place
- "She directed him to the airport." -- gave directions to send someone to a particular place
- "She directed the boat north." -- steered it
- "directed the letter to" -- send a letter to a particular person by putting a name and address on it
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(4) (direct as in: depart directly) without delay, or in the quickest manner, or without going somewhere else firsteditor's notes: You may see the term direct flight used in a technical manner that is not as quick as a non-stop flight. In technical usage, a direct flight from Los Angeles to New York could stop at a city on the way, but you would not get off the plane during the stop.
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(5) (direct as in: directed the movie) supervise, control, or to be in charge of
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(direct as in: directed the jury to...) give instructions or commands