Direct contempt of court is when insults are made or disobedience occurs in the courtroom in front of the judge. An example of direct contempt of court would be a witness who refuses to stop shouting or hurling insults at the judge during a trial. If a person is acting in contempt of court, then they are understood to be blatantly disrespecting the court, or individual members of the court.
Order and respect are supposed to be upheld in the courtroom. So, if someone does something that undermines these two things, in front of a judge, it is called direct contempt of court. Direct contempt of court is an alternative to indirect contempt of court which is disrespect or disobedience of the court that does not occur in front of the judge.