Word
oblique
US/əˈbɫik/
UK/əblˈiːk/
Definition
adj. not expressed in a direct way. You use this to describe a comment or a look that is indirect or hidden.
adj. indirect or not straightforward in expression; not explicit. Often describes communication that avoids addressing a subject directly.
Examples
“She made an oblique reference to her past.”
“The politician gave an oblique answer to the reporter's question, avoiding any specific promises.”
“The author's oblique style requires the reader to look for meaning in the subtext rather than in the literal descriptions of the characters' actions.”
Examples
simple
“She made an oblique reference to her past.”
contextual
“The politician gave an oblique answer to the reporter's question, avoiding any specific promises.”
complex
“The author's oblique style requires the reader to look for meaning in the subtext rather than in the literal descriptions of the characters' actions.”
Usage
Typically used to describe speech, writing, or glances. Often follows a linking verb or precedes the noun it modifies.
Real-World Examples
“In mainland China, authorities have banned even oblique references to the 1989 crackdown.” “Augustin Fresnel would effectively prove Huygens’ theory: by arranging a series of small, convex prisms into the shape of a beehive, the Frenchman discovered that he could capture and refract oblique light.” Etymology
From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/oblique