sidelong
UK /ˈsaɪd.lɒŋ/ · US /ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/ adjective, adverb
- adjective Directed to the side; sideways. “He cast me a sidelong glance.”
- adjective Slanting or sloping; oblique.
- adjective Indirect; suggestive; not straightforward. “She made some sidelong remarks about his manhood.”
- adjective Along the side of something.
- adverb Towards the side; sideways.
- adverb obliquely
Synonyms
inside-out askance askant asquint squint squint-eyed squinty lateral sideways obliquely
Etymology
1520s, from Middle English sidlyng (early 14th century), from side + -lyng (“(frequentative)”) (modern English -le (“(frequentative)”)). Reanalyzed as side + long.
Webster’s 1913
- adverb Laterally; obliquely; in the direction of the side.
- adverb On the side; as, to lay a thing sidelong.
- adjective Lateral; oblique; not being directly in front; as, a sidelong glance.
Etymology [See Sideling, adv.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sidelong”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details