slant

American  

[slant, slahnt] / slænt, slɑnt /

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 ).

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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 British  

/ 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

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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.

Usage

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.

Related Words

See slope.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of slant

First recorded in 1485–95; aphetic variant of aslant

Example Sentences

Even the cattails that usually stand straight and tall, protecting the marsh, look weighed down, their heads heavy, slanted sideways, like they’re reaching toward the cool water for some relief.

From Literature

More notable than the volume of Friday’s expiration is the heavy slant toward puts.

From MarketWatch

It was two weeks later that a small boy delivered a scented envelope to the side door; inside in slanted purple letters was a single line, “Jan is home.”

From Literature

I am not going to face off against Theo in this garret of a bedroom, no exits, slanted ceilings.

From Literature

She tips her head back, looking up at the slanted treehouse roof.

From Literature

Related Words

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