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.
Obliquely called MCC950, this drug stops NLRP3 from signaling and has been used in similar studies related to this inflammation pathway.
From Salon • Nov. 2, 2022
Obliquely activist, newly timeless, “Siren” sounds a contemporary cri de cœur.
From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2022
Obliquely referring to a “mental health issue” and asking for privacy in instances of severe professional misconduct weakens the concept that sometimes, people really do need a break.
From Slate • Sep. 28, 2021
Obliquely, he acknowledged that politicians had held up such improvements: “Make us do it,” he urged businesspeople and the public.
From Economist • Jan. 2, 2014
Obliquely through the door of the booking-office he saw her.
From The Literary Sense by Nesbit, E. (Edith)
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.
