tilt

¹ American  

[tilt] / tɪlt /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to lean, incline, slope, or slant.

2. to rush at or charge, as in a joust.

3. to hold poised for attack, as a lance.

4. to move (a camera) up or down on its vertical axis for photographing or televising a moving character, object, or the like.

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verb (used without object)

1. to move into or assume a sloping position or direction.

2. to strike, thrust, or charge with a lance or the like (usually followed byat ).

3. to engage in a joust, tournament, or similar contest.

4. (of a camera) to move on its vertical axis.

   The camera tilts downward for an overhead shot.

5. to incline in opinion, feeling, etc.; lean.

   She's tilting toward the other candidate this year.

noun

1. an act or instance of tilting.

2. the state of being tilted; a sloping position.

3. a slope.

4. a joust or any other contest.

5. a dispute; controversy.

6. a thrust of a weapon, as at a tilt or joust.

7. (in aerial photography) the angle formed by the direction of aim of a camera and a perpendicular to the surface of the earth.

idioms

1. tilt at windmills, to contend against imaginary opponents or injustices. Also fight with windmills.

2. (at) full tilt. full tilt.

tilt ² American  

[tilt] / tɪlt /

noun

1. a cover of coarse cloth, canvas, etc., as for a wagon.

2. an awning.

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a tilt.

tilt ¹ British  

/ tɪlt /

verb

1. to incline or cause to incline at an angle

2. (usually intr) to attack or overthrow (a person or people) in a tilt or joust

3. to aim or thrust

   to tilt a lance

4. (tr) to work or forge with a tilt hammer

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noun

1. a slope or angle

   at a tilt

2. the act of tilting

3. 1. a jousting contest

   2. a thrust with a lance or pole delivered during a tournament

4. an attempt to win a contest

5. See tilt hammer

6. at full speed or force

tilt ² British  

/ tɪlt /

noun

1. an awning or canopy, usually of canvas, for a boat, booth, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to cover or provide with a tilt

Other Word Forms

• tiltable
  adjective
• tilter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tilt¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English tilte(n), tilt(e), tult “to fall down, upset, tumble,” akin to Old English tealt “unsteady,” tealtian “to stumble”; compare dialectal Norwegian tylta “to tiptoe,” tylten “unsteady,” Swedish tulta “to totter”

Origin of tilt²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English teld(e), telt(e), tild(e) “dwelling (temporary or permanent), fort, tent,” Old English teld “tent, pavilion”; cognate with German Zelt “tent,” Old Norse tjald “tent, tapestry, curtain”

Explanation

Tilt is both a noun and a verb. It has many shades of meaning, but most involve a slope or slant. When you're dizzy from eating too much, you might tilt when you walk away from the table. The verb tilt can also indicate a slight preference for one thing over another. When Mavis and Marvin argue, you tend to tilt toward Marvin’s point of view, meaning you think he's probably right — you lean in that direction. As a noun tilt can mean a steep slant. When you climb Everest, you’ll find that the face of the mountain is at a dangerous tilt — it's very steep.

Example Sentences

At night, I dreamed about not needing to tilt my head just so when posing for pictures.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

He soon learned that the first lesson of piloting—flying straight—was even more daunting when the smallest tilt could change the scale of the photos.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

I also don't expect Angela Rayner to say she'd take a tilt at the job this weekend, though she'll make plain her concerns about the direction of the party.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Snacks and drinks with those substances have become more popular thanks to social media, GLP-1 use and an ongoing consumer tilt toward wellness.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Nathan had to tilt his chin up so that he could see through the windshield.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• bend
• dip
• incline
• lurch
• shift
• sway
• tip