Straightway means immediately, without delay or hesitation. It's an old-fashioned word you'll find in classic books and older translations of the Bible. When something happens straightway, it happens right away, in a straight line from one moment to the next.

In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, when Tom's Aunt Polly calls him, he doesn't come straightway because he's up to mischief. If he had obeyed straightway, he would have dropped everything and rushed to her instantly. The word suggests both speed and directness: no detours, no dawdling, no excuses.

Today, people usually say “immediately,” “right away,” or “at once” instead of straightway. But you'll still encounter it in older literature, where characters might straightway set off on a journey or straightway discover the truth. When you see it, think of someone moving in a perfectly straight line from decision to action, with nothing in between.