geradewegs
straight / directly
By the most direct route, without detours or deviations from the direction.
EXAMPLE
Er ging geradewegs auf die Bühne zu und nahm den Preis entgegen.
He went straight toward the stage and accepted the prize.
geradewegs
straight / directly
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Meanings
geradewegs
straight / directly
Heading directly and inevitably toward a particular, often negative outcome or situation.
EXAMPLE
Mit diesem unüberlegten Verhalten steuerst du geradewegs in eine Katastrophe.
With this reckless behavior, you are heading straight into a catastrophe.
Usage tips
Word structure
This adverb is made up of 'gerade' (straight) and the genitive of 'Weg' ('Wegs') (way/path). So it literally means 'by a straight way' and describes movement that proceeds directly and without detours.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind lief geradewegs auf seine Mutter zu.
The child ran straight toward its mother.
Sentence position
As an adverb, 'geradewegs' (straight/directly) can stand flexibly in the sentence. It can stand in position 1, in which case the verb follows directly after it. It can also stand in the middle of the sentence to describe the manner of the action.
EXAMPLE
Geradewegs steuerte er auf das Ziel zu.
Straight ahead, he headed toward the goal.
Typical collocations
In its literal meaning, 'geradewegs' (straight/directly) is often combined with verbs of movement and an indication of direction. Typical patterns are 'geradewegs auf etwas zugehen' (to walk straight toward something), 'geradewegs nach Hause fahren' (to drive straight home), or 'geradewegs ins Zentrum laufen' (to run/walk straight into the center).
EXAMPLE
Nach der Arbeit fahre ich geradewegs nach Hause.
After work, I drive straight home.
Context clue
The figurative meaning is often recognizable from verbs like 'zusteuern' (to head toward), 'führen' (to lead), or 'schlittern' (to slide/slip into). The context then usually describes an unavoidable, often negative outcome such as a 'Katastrophe' (catastrophe), a 'Problem' (problem), or 'den Ruin' (ruin).
EXAMPLE
Mit seiner riskanten Strategie steuert das Unternehmen geradewegs auf die Pleite zu.
With its risky strategy, the company is heading straight for bankruptcy.
Compare with
geradewegs vs direkt
direct
Direkt and geradewegs both describe a route without detours. Direkt is the neutral choice for the shortest or most direct route; geradewegs emphasizes more strongly that someone is moving purposefully in a particular direction and often sounds somewhat more emphatic. Both words are possible in sentences like these.
geradewegs
Nach dem Gespräch ging er geradewegs zum Bahnhof, ohne sich aufzuhalten.
After the conversation, he went straight to the train station without stopping.
direkt
Wir gingen direkt zum Bahnhof, weil unser Zug bald abfuhr.
We went straight to the train station because our train was leaving soon.
In real life
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