obliquely
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of obliquely
Explanation
Something done obliquely is done in a roundabout way rather than directly. Constantly mentioning how much you love dogs is a way of obliquely telling your parents that you want a pet. The word obliquely can mean the indirect way something is talked about or the indirect path that something takes. It's also a word used to describe when something is positioned sideways or on a slant, like a ladder propped obliquely against the wall. Ever notice how the rain seems to fall on a slant against a lamp light at night? It's not falling straight, but obliquely or on an angle.
Vocabulary lists containing obliquely
A Wrinkle in Time
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The Boys in the Boat
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"The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol
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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.
And to his documentary’s great credit, Neville doesn’t deal obliquely with Linda’s role in Paul’s post-Beatles life.
From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026
The theocrat would express his distrust of the Americans, caution his emissaries to be vigilant, but then obliquely defend their efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025
The initial reports of this action were reported by the New York Times and Washington Post, but it was confirmed for me, if somewhat obliquely, by a White House spokeswoman.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, remarked obliquely that "he had never heard of him".
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2024
I could see her there, the picture perched obliquely in his thick hands, her unanswered gaze dead on us both.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
