sideways

American  

[sahyd-weyz] / ˈsaɪdˌweɪz /

Also sidewise

adverb

1. with a side foremost.

2. facing to the side.

3. toward or from one side.

4. with a deceitful, scornful, disparaging, or amorous glance.

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adjective

1. moving, facing, or directed toward one side.

2. indirect or evasive.

sideways British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌweɪz /

adverb

1. moving, facing, or inclining towards one side

2. from one side; obliquely

3. with one side forward

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adjective

1. moving or directed to or from one side

2. towards or from one side

sideways Idioms  

1. see knock for a loop (sideways); look sideways at.

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Etymology

Origin of sideways

First recorded in 1570–80; side ¹ + -ways

Explanation

When something occurs on or in the direction of one side, it happens sideways. You can lean over sideways to see if your cat's hiding under the bed, or tip a teapot sideways to pour the last drops out. Sideways works as an adjective or adverb to describe things that lean toward one side or at an angle. A sideways tilt to a motorcycle might look scary, but it's safe if the rider is experienced. You can also use this word figuratively for "indirect" or "unconventional." So you might describe a movie that approaches serious subjects from a sideways perspective, using comedy. Sideways dates from the mid-16th century.

Example Sentences

Sideways walking appears to have evolved just once, originating from a forward-walking ancestor at the base of Eubrachyura, a group that includes more advanced crabs.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

Speaking on the BBC's Sideways podcast in 2021, Enmark rubbished the concept of Stockholm syndrome, saying: "It's a way of blaming the victim. I did what I could to survive."

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2025

Giamatti, who appeared in Payne's 2004 Oscar-winning movie "Sideways", plays Paul Hunham, a teacher of ancient history at a high-status New England boarding school for boys.

From Reuters • Oct. 11, 2023

But his stinging licks and darting leads on songs like “Shapes of Things” and “Over Under Sideways Down” added an expansive element to the music that helped signal the emerging psychedelic rock revolution.

From New York Times • Jan. 11, 2023

Sideways, the letter Z turned into the letter N. Could the silver barrette—one of the Clue Crew's clues—be a Z shape instead of an N shape, after all?

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene