Askew Definition & Meaning

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    • Synonyms askew American [uh-skyoo] / əˈskyu /

    adverb

    1. to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry.

      to wear one's hat askew;

      to hang a picture askew.

    2. with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully.

      They looked askew at the painting.

    adjective

    1. crooked; awry.

      Your clothes are all askew.

    askew British / əˈskjuː /

    adverb

    1. at an oblique angle; towards one side; awry

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

    Usage

    Spelling tips for askew The spelling of askew shouldn’t be confused with the somewhat similar sounding word eschew. How to spell askew: Think of askew as a combination of the adjective-forming prefix a- and the verb skew (adjectives like asleep and ablaze are formed in the same way). Or pretend that someone asks you if a picture frame is askew, and that you respond really rudely: “Do you even have to ask? Ew.”

    Other Word Forms

    • askewness noun

    Etymology

    Origin of askew

    First recorded in 1565–75; a- 1 + skew

    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.

    After one flight, he parked his aircraft so askew that ground crew had to reposition the jet.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    She turned back to the mirror and poked at the poor little bird, which had fallen askew.

    From Literature

    In the fourth quarter of 2025, demand growth will even ease back compared to the previous three months, "adding to market balances that look increasingly askew", the IEA said.

    From Barron's

    Young Andrew, by contrast, looked a bit of a scapegrace, tie askew.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Economic comparisons, even after data reporting returns, will be askew until normalization sets back in.

    From MarketWatch

    Related Words

    • awry
    • off-center

    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.

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