German word

indirekt

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈɪndiˌʁɛkt/

Meaning

  • adjectiveindirect

Example

Seine Antwort war indirekter als erwartet.

His answer was more indirect than expected.

Illustration for indirekt (indirect)

More examples

Sie äußerte indirekte Kritik an meinem Plan.

She voiced indirect criticism of my plan.

Core concept

A message reaches its point by going around it instead of taking a straight path.

Common phrases

  • indirekte Frage

    indirect question

  • indirekte Kritik

    indirect criticism

  • indirekter Hinweis

    indirect hint

Similar words

ausweichend: Deflecting a question instead of giving a clear, direct answer.
zurückhaltend: Showing restraint and avoiding forceful self-expression.
euphemistisch: Making unpleasant content or bad news sound less harsh.

Definition in German

so formuliert, dass etwas nicht geradeheraus gesagt wird, sondern durch Andeutungen oder Umwege zum Ausdruck kommt.

Word origin

German indirekt comes from Latin indirectus, formed from in- 'not' and directus 'straight or direct'.

Usage tips

  • Indirekt is used for both roundabout wording and indirect evidence, influence, or speech, so it is broader than a conversational euphemism.

Other meanings

  • indirectlyadverb
  • in a roundabout wayadverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Indirektheitindirectnessnoun

Word lists with this word