askew

[ uh-skyoo ]
See synonyms for askew on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry: to wear one's hat askew;to hang a picture askew.

  2. with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully: They looked askew at the painting.

adjective
  1. crooked; awry: Your clothes are all askew.

Origin of askew

1
First recorded in 1565–75; a-1 + skew

Other words from askew

  • a·skew·ness, noun

Words Nearby askew

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use askew in a sentence

  • Wearing a dark blazer and a slightly askew lavender tie, he could have passed for a young Tom Cruise.

    The Burglar Bunch Goes to Court | Nicole LaPorte | December 2, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • She was a woman of too much natural and acquired poise to remain askew under any shock.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • Ivan Afanasiitch stood still a moment, groped after his cap, put it on askew, and went out without closing his mouth.

  • To one side a great metal cylinder lay askew a heap of rubbish.

    The Jewels of Aptor | Samuel R. Delany
  • It looked very forlorn sitting askew in its forks, with a pair of worn-out finnesko hanging over it.

    The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
  • When askew died in 1774 they were offered to a collector for two thousand guineas, but the price was considered too large.

    Prices of Books | Henry B. Wheatley

British Dictionary definitions for askew

askew

/ (əˈskjuː) /


adverb, adjective
  1. at an oblique angle; towards one side; awry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012