oblique

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /oʊˈbliːk/ UK /əˈbliːk/ See IPA manual

Freq #41568

Meanings

1

adj
Said in an indirect way rather than plainly; not straightforward.

The email from HR obliquely hinted that complaints had been made about her.
2

adj
Sloping or slanting; neither straight up nor flat across.

The oblique rays of the winter sun stretched long shadows across the field.
3

adj
Set at an angle, neither vertical nor horizontal.

The branch grew at an oblique angle away from the trunk.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · sloping or slanting;... slanting inclined aslant

3 adj · set at an angle, neither... askew inclined

More slash

Word family

Forms obliques

Derived forms deobliquingdouble-obliquenonobliqueobliquelyobliquenessobliquitysingle-obliquestrokesubobliquetriple-oblique

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

oblique cone
a cone whose axis is not perpendicular to its base

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”).

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# oblique

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /oʊˈbliːk/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈbliːk/
**Frequency rank:** 41568

## Meanings
1. Said in an indirect way rather than plainly; not straightforward.
2. Sloping or slanting; neither straight up nor flat across.
3. Set at an angle, neither vertical nor horizontal.

## Examples
- The email from HR obliquely hinted that complaints had been made about her.
- The oblique rays of the winter sun stretched long shadows across the field.
- The branch grew at an oblique angle away from the trunk.

## Synonyms
- slash

## Derived Forms
- deobliquing
- double-oblique
- nonoblique
- obliquely
- obliqueness
- obliquity
- single-oblique
- stroke
- suboblique
- triple-oblique

## Etymology
From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”).

## AI Etymology
Oblique is from Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”). In present-day use, it can mean said in an indirect way rather than plainly; not straightforward, or sloping or slanting; neither straight up nor flat across. Derived formations include deobliquing, double-oblique, nonoblique, obliquely, and obliqueness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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