Definitions

straight man

NOUN

comedian who sets up joke

Synonyms

STRONGEST

sidekick

WEAK

banana feed feeder foil second banana stooge straight person

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In that way, Jost functions as something that might’ve been equally powerful for "SNL"’s mainstream American audiences to witness: namely, a straight man embracing queerness, enjoying its sensibilities, and approaching it without fear.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025

It’s now different for him to enter LGBTQ+ rooms where lesbians might read him as a straight man or gay men might not recognize him as trans.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024

But he has grown into his role at “Saturday Night Live,” proving to be an especially strong straight man adept at the comedy of embarrassment.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2024

Jadeja is a nice contrast - steady, quick, chipping away, the straight man to Ashwin's varied expressions.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2024

"There's a man back there in the Pullman knows him like he was his own son, a straight man, none better in this Western country," West concluded.

From Gunsight Pass How Oil Came to the Cattle Country and Brought a New West by Raine, William MacLeod