agley

or a·gly

[ uh-glee, uh-gley, uh-glahy ]

/ əˈgli, əˈgleɪ, əˈglaɪ /

Save This Word!

adverb Chiefly Scot.

off the right line; awry; wrong.

QUIZ

FIRE UP YOUR VOCAB FOR A "RED" SYNONYMS QUIZ

No fire engine reds here, only a fierce collection of vibrant words for the color red to test yourself on.

Question 1 of 7

What does "amaranth" mean?

a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

an imaginary, undying flower

a mythical creature

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of agley

1775–85; a-¹ + gleyglee²

Words nearby agley

Aglaia, Aglaophon of Thasos, aglare, agleam, aglet, agley, aglimmer, aglint, aglisten, aglitter, aglossia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use agley in a sentence

What a joy it is in a vexatious world, where things 'gang aft agley,' to find something absolutely right.
Penelope's Experiences in Scotland|Kate Douglas Wiggin
Burns tells us that “the well-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley.”
A Raw Recruit's War Experiences|Ansel D. Nickerson
He didn't intend that any strange girl should throw all his plans agley, for she had done more than mischief enough already.
The Brass Bound Box|Evelyn Raymond
But, like the plans of the little field mouse of whom Robert Burns wrote, the best laid schemes "gang aft agley."
The Barrel Mystery|William J. (William James) Flynn

But "The best-laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft agley," as the priest-governed schemers may find to their cost.
Ireland as It Is|Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)

British Dictionary definitions for agley

agley

aglee (əˈɡliː)

/ (əˈɡleɪ, əˈɡlaɪ, əˈɡliː) /

adverb, adjective

Scot awry; askew

Word Origin for agley

from gley squint

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