oblique

American  

[uh-bleek, oh-bleek, uh-blahyk, oh-blahyk] / əˈblik, oʊˈblik, əˈblaɪk, oʊˈblaɪk /

adjective

1. neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping.

2. (of a solid) not having the axis perpendicular to the plane of the base.

3. diverging from a given straight line or course.

4. not straight or direct, as a course.

5. indirectly stated or expressed; not straightforward.

   oblique remarks about the candidate's honesty.

   Synonyms:

   covert, masked, veiled, indirect

6. indirectly aimed at or reached, as ends or results; deviously achieved.

   Synonyms:

   covert, masked, veiled, indirect

7. morally, ethically, or mentally wrong; underhand; perverse.

8. Typography. (of a letter) slanting toward the right, as a form of sans-serif, gothic, or square-serif type.

9. Rhetoric. indirect (applied to discourse in which the original words of a speaker or writer are assimilated to the language of the reporter).

10. Anatomy. pertaining to muscles running obliquely in the body as opposed to those running transversely or longitudinally.

11. Botany. having unequal sides, as a leaf.

12. Grammar. noting or pertaining to any case of noun inflection except nominative and vocative.

    Latin genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative cases are said to be oblique.

13. Drafting. designating a method of projection oblique projection in which a three-dimensional object is represented by a drawing oblique drawing in which the face, usually parallel to the picture plane, is represented in accurate or exact proportion, and all other faces are shown at any convenient angle other than 90°.

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adverb

1. Military. at an angle of 45°.

verb (used without object)

obliqued, obliquing

1. Military. to change direction obliquely.

noun

obliques plural

1. something that is oblique.

2. Grammar. an oblique case.

3. Anatomy. any of several oblique muscles, especially in the walls of the abdomen.

oblique British  

/ əˈbliːk /

adjective

1. at an angle; slanting; sloping

2. geometry

   1. (of lines, planes, etc) neither perpendicular nor parallel to one another or to another line, plane, etc

   2. not related to or containing a right angle

3. indirect or evasive

4. grammar denoting any case of nouns, pronouns, etc, other than the nominative and vocative

5. biology having asymmetrical sides or planes

   an oblique leaf

6. (of a map projection) constituting a type of zenithal projection in which the plane of projection is tangential to the earth's surface at some point between the equator and the poles

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noun

1. something oblique, esp a line

2. another name for solidus

3. nautical the act of changing course by less than 90°

4. an aerial photograph taken at an oblique angle

verb

1. to take or have an oblique direction

2. (of a military formation) to move forward at an angle

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• obliqueness
  noun
• subobliqueness
  noun
• suboblique
  adjective
• obliquely
  adverb
• subobliquely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• obliques
  plural

Etymology

Origin of oblique

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English oblike, from Latin oblīquus “slanting,” of uncertain origin; perhaps ob- ob- + a second element perhaps akin to licinus “bent, turned upward” or līmus “askew, aslant” ( see also limb)

Explanation

If something is oblique, it has a slanting position or direction. In figurative use, oblique means indirect or purposely misleading. "What is two plus two?" "Fish!" as an answer is completely oblique. In math, this adjective refers to geometric lines or planes that are not parallel or perpendicular to a line or surface. A playground is positioned at an oblique angle to the ground. By correcting the clerk's "Mrs." with "That's Ms. now," the woman made an oblique reference to her change in marital status.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oblique obliques obliqued obliquing

Though many critics and historians have tried, it’s impossible to get to the true root of a work as oblique as “Possession.”

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Some of the content is oblique -- vendors often post images of animals or parts for sale without any price or explanation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

Flash back to May, the opener of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. a week after he had returned to the court following a month-long absence with an oblique injury.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Bone chips, ACLs, MCLs, pulled hamstrings, multiple Tommy John surgeries and the recent epidemic of dreaded oblique strains just for starters.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

All this came through in small, oblique spurts in his conversation.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

The obliques are muscles that span from the ribs to the pelvis and help the body’s ability to bend and rotate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

For just $2,599, this sleek and sturdy item offers users plate-loaded core training in a seated position, and a swivel seat to easily transition to targeting your obliques.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2023

“You never know with obliques but I don’t think it’s as bad as we thought it would be,” manager Charlie Montoyo said before the Blue Jays concluded a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 14, 2022

They didn’t have to cut through the muscle tissue in his obliques to remove his appendix, and the morning after the surgery, Olsen was back on his feet and texting teammates with encouraging news.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2018

On the whole, then, it is proved that the obliques are extended on turning the eyes inwards, but shortened on turning the eyes outwards by means of their muscular action.

From Schweigger on Squint A Monograph by Dr. C. Schweigger by Schweigger, C.

The instant his back was turned, the old man obliqued crabwise to the side of the road.

From McClure's Magazine, Vol. 31, No. 1, May 1908 by Various

When we struck the snow-patch slope we obliqued over to our trail up, and began to back track.

From Pluck on the Long Trail Boy Scouts in the Rockies by Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)

They were moving toward us, so we obliqued toward them, with our shadows cast long by the low sun.

From Pluck on the Long Trail Boy Scouts in the Rockies by Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)

Knew it Tuesday, when the ambulances obliqued at the top and went on down toward Staunton!

From The Long Roll by Johnston, Mary

The 21st seemed to have obliqued to the left of the 51st.

From Personal Recollections of the Civil War By One Who Took Part in It as a Private Soldier in the 21st Volunteer Regiment of Infantry from Massachusetts by Stone, James Madison

In this way I should rise by steps, as it were, obliquing always in the direction of the hatchway.

From The Boy Tar by Read, Edward

They keep Canal, obliquing to that side of the way farthest from the balconies-- "To make room," cries Victorine, "to form line pritty soon off horses, in front those cannon'."

From Kincaid's Battery by Kimball, Alonzo

Then the three first sides of our square, the second and the third obliquing to the right and left fired.

From The Conscript A Story of the French war of 1813 by Erckmann-Chatrian

The path was but a ledge, which, after running fifty yards in a direct line, made an abrupt double back in the opposite direction, all the while obliquing downwards.

From The Free Lances A Romance of the Mexican Valley by Reid, Mayne

When my brigade had moved far around upon the left, and had taken position, obliquing toward the enemy's rear, it suddenly opened.

From History of Morgan's Cavalry by Duke, Basil Wilson

Related Words

• backhanded
• vague