askew
Americanadverb
-
to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry.
to wear one's hat askew;
to hang a picture askew.
-
with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully.
They looked askew at the painting.
adjective
adverb
Usage
Spelling tips for askew The spelling of askew shouldn’t be confused with the somewhat similar sounding word eschew. How to spell askew: Think of askew as a combination of the adjective-forming prefix a- and the verb skew (adjectives like asleep and ablaze are formed in the same way). Or pretend that someone asks you if a picture frame is askew, and that you respond really rudely: “Do you even have to ask? Ew.”
Other Word Forms
- askewness noun
Etymology
Origin of askew
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.
His glasses were askew on his nose, and he breathed heavily.
From Literature
“As a regulator, in some ways you never have enough people, but the supply and demand curve is getting a little askew here.”
From Barron's
“As a regulator, in some ways you never have enough people, but the supply and demand curve is getting a little askew here.”
From Barron's
Coating cools while dripping from an arm, smiles askew send mixed signals, smeared eyes like they’d been up late partying with the tarts, blemishes, cracked sugary skin.
From Salon
She scratched her head, sending her blond wig askew, revealing the sparse gray spiderwebs underneath.
From Literature
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.
