slant

[slant, slahnt]

verb (used without object)

1. to veer or angle away from a given level or line, especially from a horizontal; slope.

   Synonyms: incline, lean

2. to have or be influenced by a subjective point of view, bias, personal feeling or inclination, etc. (usually followed bytoward ).

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to slope.

2. to distort (information) by rendering it unfaithfully or incompletely, especially in order to reflect a particular viewpoint.

   He slanted the news story to discredit the Administration.

3. to write, edit, or publish for the interest or amusement of a specific group of readers.

   a story slanted toward young adults.

noun

1. slanting or oblique direction; slope.

   the slant of a roof.

   Synonyms: pitch, inclination, incline, obliqueness, obliquity

2. a slanting line, surface, etc.

3. virgule.

4. a mental leaning, bias, or distortion.

   His mind shows a curious slant.

5. viewpoint; opinion; attitude.

   Let him give you his slant.

6. Informal.,  a glance or look.

7. Also called angle. Journalism.,  the particular mood or vein in which something is written, edited, or published.

   His column always has a humorous slant.

8. Football.

   1. an offensive play in which the ball-carrier runs toward the line of scrimmage at an angle.

   2. Also called slant-in. a pass pattern in which a receiver cuts diagonally across the middle of the field.

9. Also called slant-eye. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.,  a contemptuous term used to refer to a person from East Asia, especially a Chinese or Japanese person.

adjective

1. sloping; oblique.

   a slant roof; a slant approach.

slant

/ slɑːnt /

verb

1. to incline or be inclined at an oblique or sloping angle

2. (tr) to write or present (news, etc) with a bias

3. (of a person's opinions) to be biased

noun

1. an inclined or oblique line or direction; slope

2. a way of looking at something

3. a bias or opinion, as in an article

4. a less technical name for solidus

5. sloping

adjective

1. oblique, sloping

Sensitive Note

See slant-eyed.

Other Word Forms

• slantingly adverb
• slantly adverb
• unslanted adjective
• unslanting adjective
• slanting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of slant¹

First recorded in 1485–95; aphetic variant of aslant

Word History and Origins

Origin of slant¹

C17: short for _aslant , probably of Scandinavian origin

Synonym Study

See slope.

Example Sentences

The corners of the house splinter off at multiple places and give the cabin a perpetual slant.

Read more on Literature

Right and far-right parties, which made significant gains in the 2024 European elections, have been clamouring for Brussels to take a more pro-business slant and ditch some of its green policies.

Read more on Barron's

It’s frequently a political football, with conservatives seeing a leftist slant in its news output and some liberals accusing it of having a conservative bias.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A house 7,500 feet from the bomb is scorched and slanting.

Read more on Literature

Worse, slanting political lines so that one party or the other is guaranteed victory only widens the gulf that has helped turn Washington’s into its current slough of dysfunction.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• angle 
• leaning 
• point of view 
• predisposition 
• viewpoint 

When To Use

What does slant mean?

To slant is to slope or lean away from a specific line.To slant is also to cause to slope, as in If you slant your house’s roof, rain and snow will slide off.A slant is a line or plane that is not horizontally or vertically straight. Often it is on a diagonal as with /.Figuratively, to slant is to have or be biased, as in My mother was always slanted toward my father’s opinion.To slant is also to distort information to reflect a specific viewpoint and misstate facts. It is often used in reference to journalism, which is expected to be unbiased and objective. Slanted media, for example, would back a particular political movement by covering its victories and downplaying its failures.To slant can also be used to mean to write, edit or publish something for a specific audience. This may be seen as a positive or negative, depending on how something is slanted and the purpose of the material. For example, to slant a news story to young readers would be to simplify the story without distorting it so younger readers could understand it. To slant a novel to a specific audience is to write it to their interests. However, to slant a news story with the intent to distort information would be considered a negative.Example: Cape Cod houses are known for their slanted roofs and shingle siding.