askew
Americanadverb
-
to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry.
to wear one's hat askew;
to hang a picture askew.
-
with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully.
They looked askew at the painting.
adjective
adverb
Usage
Spelling tips for askew The spelling of askew shouldn’t be confused with the somewhat similar sounding word eschew. How to spell askew: Think of askew as a combination of the adjective-forming prefix a- and the verb skew (adjectives like asleep and ablaze are formed in the same way). Or pretend that someone asks you if a picture frame is askew, and that you respond really rudely: “Do you even have to ask? Ew.”
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of askew
Explanation
Although it sounds like a sneeze, the word askew means lopsided or turned and tilted to the side. Like your glasses might be after, well, a sneeze. Anything askew is crooked. The word askew probably comes from Old Norse for "on a skew," or "to turn aside." No matter how you look at it, anything askew is at an angle. If a picture is askew, you might tilt your head to look at it, and if the books on a library shelf are askew, a conscientious librarian might tidy them up.
Vocabulary lists containing askew
List 3
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Chains
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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.
Trailing most of the game with five transfer students still not declared eligible, top-ranked Sierra Canyon turned to point guard Jordan Askew to deliver a 67-65 win over Millikan on Wednesday night.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025
That list keeps growing but includes Askew, Bush, Rubio, and former Sen. Bob Graham.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 5, 2023
Eli Crossley, who's just 16, will be one of the youngest performers ever to play the festival when he takes to the stage with his band, Askew.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2023
Paul Askew, chef patron of award-winning restaurant The Art School, has created a menu that marries the country's ingredients and produce local to Liverpool.
From Reuters • May 11, 2023
Mrs. Askew pivoted like a dancer and was gone.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
