obliquely
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of obliquely
Explanation
Something done obliquely is done in a roundabout way rather than directly. Constantly mentioning how much you love dogs is a way of obliquely telling your parents that you want a pet. The word obliquely can mean the indirect way something is talked about or the indirect path that something takes. It's also a word used to describe when something is positioned sideways or on a slant, like a ladder propped obliquely against the wall. Ever notice how the rain seems to fall on a slant against a lamp light at night? It's not falling straight, but obliquely or on an angle.
Vocabulary lists containing obliquely
A Wrinkle in Time
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The Boys in the Boat
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"The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol
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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.
"It is simply not credible for a film to claim to be about Michael Jackson without addressing, even obliquely, the accusations, controversies and sadness that dogged his later life," Collin said.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Many schools referred only obliquely to the newly confrontational relationship between the federal government and higher ed in commentary accompanying their investment returns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
Smith’s pregame message to his players only obliquely touched on the tragedy.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025
“What’s Up?” then obliquely points out the structural forces at play within this struggle: “I realized quickly when I knew I should/That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man/For whatever that means.”
From Salon • May 26, 2025
Everybody had a secret that he had to spread obliquely to keep its identity as a secret.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
