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askew

askew

13 6.0
Not straight or level and turned to one side
  • adjective
  • /əˈskju/
translation icon : torcido
  • Your tie is all askew.

Our dark ties are slightly Askew on our white shirts.

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Examples

  • Her picture frame hung slightly askew, making the wall look uneven.

  • A framed diploma, dusty and unkempt, hangs askew on the wall.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Her eyes are slightly askew.

  • Everything is just a little askew.

  • I was just trying a spell to trim his hair, and it went a little askew.

  • Her life belt was knocked askew, so she took some time to straighten it out.

  • Her lips were somewhat swollen, and her hair was slightly askew, but it would do.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The mantlepiece, with smashed photos lying askew, could be seen through the clear washed glass.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The jeep was a mess, charcoaled in bits, with frayed metal and a wheel askew in the air.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The "Ripley Auto Finishing" sign hangs askew over the doorway.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

crooked
vsaskew
58 2.5

Not straight in shape, like a path or a smile

is a tilted position of an object, not necessarily bent
lopsided
vsaskew
19 4.3

Uneven because one side is lower, smaller, or heavier

is a simple sideways tilt without one side heavier
angled
vsaskew
9 3.3

Placed at a slant so it is not straight up or flat

is a general sideways tilt not focused on precise angle
off-kilter
vsaskew
  • Informal
7 7.5

Not straight or level and a little strange

is a neutral physical tilt, not an odd or eccentric state
inclined
vsaskew
6 3.9

Sloping so one end is higher than the other

is a one-sided tilt rather than a neutral slope
wonky
vsaskew
6 7.7

Not steady or straight and likely to wobble

is only a sideways tilt without implying instability
skewed
vsaskew
5 4.7

Not straight or level and often wrong because of a personal view

is tilted more simply rather than geometrically slanted
oblique
vsaskew
5 7.5

Slanting, not straight up or straight across

is a simple tilt to one side without geometric detail
awry
vsaskew
2 6.8

Not in the correct position and turned to one side

is a simple sideways tilt rather than disordered positioning
cockeyed
vsaskew
1 7.6

Tilted to one side and not straight

is tilted to one side but less twisted
slanty
vsaskew
1 4.4

Leaning to one side and not level

is a tilted position but less about a regular incline
wry
vsaskew
1 7.0

Twisted to one side so it is not straight

is less distorted and simply leans to one side
skew-whiff
vsaskew
  • UK
9.9

Not straight or level but turned a little to one side

is tilted without strong twisting
tilted
vsaskew
2.5

Leaning to one side and not straight, like a picture on a wall

is a sideways tilt rather than a general sloping
tipped
vsaskew
3.8

A thing that leans to one side and does not stand straight

is a simple sideways position rather than a supported lean
slanted
vsaskew
3.9

Not straight or level and leaning to one side

is turned to one side more than being purely angled
slanting
vsaskew
2.9

Tilting at an angle, not straight up or flat

is more about being tilted to one side than inclined
aslant
vsaskew
  • Archaic
7.2

At an angle, not straight

is tilted sideways but not necessarily angled like this
atilt
vsaskew
  • Archaic
9.8

Leaning to one side and not straight

is tilted to one side in a simpler, everyday sense
obliquus
vsaskew
9.1

Slanting to one side, not straight up or flat

is a plain sideways tilt rather than a technical angle
leaning
vsaskew
4.2

Not upright and slanting to one side

is a one-sided shift in position rather than a gradual rise
agley
vsaskew
  • Archaic
9.9

Not straight or level, often tilted

is a single sideways tilt instead of general misalignment
catawampus
vsaskew
  • Informal
9.9

Placed at an angle so it is not straight

is tilted to one side but not necessarily diagonal like this

Antonyms

442 1.0

In a direct line without curves or bends

1.0

Having a flat surface

How Crooked

crooked
58 2.5
askew
13 6.0
tilted
2.5
level
1.0

Surface Forms

askew positive

Etymology

Askew comes from the prefix a- meaning 'on' or 'in' and the word skew meaning 'slant' or 'tilt', the same root you see in the word skew; a helpful image is something 'on a slant'. So, askew literally means 'on a slant', which is why we use it for something not straight or level.