look askance

Idioms  

1. View with mistrust, as in They looked askance at him when he said he'd just made a million in the stock market. The precise feeling conveyed by this expression has varied since it was first used in the 1500s, from envy to contempt to suspicion, although the literal meaning was “look obliquely, with a side glance.” The present sense dates from about 1800. Also see look sideways.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

look askance

There are many reasons for the average investor to look askance at initial public offerings generically; more on those in a moment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

But why do they look askance at the camera?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

For instance, if you took the standard deduction last year and itemized your deductions this year, the IRS would not look askance.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 23, 2026

But they are also likely intended to quell concerns among progressives who might look askance at one factor in Kelly’s Senate record.

From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2025

They did not look askance at the attic hatch, but that was no guarantee that next time things would proceed along the same lines.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• admonish
• berate
• castigate
• chastise
• chide
• denounce
• discipline
• rebuff
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• scold