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
But the chief justice did obliquely gesture at some of the challenges facing the judiciary in Trump’s second term.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025
Smith’s pregame message to his players only obliquely touched on the tragedy.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025
Even when he did write political songs, Bob never wades into the specifics other than “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” where he’s literally telling the story of some tragedy, he most often sings obliquely.
From Salon • Dec. 25, 2024
We are in a crater, the English are coming down obliquely, they are turning our flank and working in behind us.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
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.
