Word
obliquely
Phoneticsoblique·ly
US/əˈbɫikɫi/
UK/əblˈiːkli/
Definition
adv. in a way that is not direct or clear. You use this when someone talks about a topic without mentioning it directly, or when something is at an angle.
adv. in a manner that is indirect, indirect in direction, or not facing directly toward a person or object. Often describes communication that avoids a direct statement or a physical orientation that is slanted.
Examples
“He spoke obliquely about his past mistakes.”
“The author refers to the political scandal obliquely, using a fictional story to avoid direct criticism.”
“The sun's rays struck the surface obliquely, creating long shadows that stretched across the valley floor as the day began to wane.”
Examples
simple
“He spoke obliquely about his past mistakes.”
contextual
“The author refers to the political scandal obliquely, using a fictional story to avoid direct criticism.”
complex
“The sun's rays struck the surface obliquely, creating long shadows that stretched across the valley floor as the day began to wane.”
Real-World Examples
“One of a string of singles Ocean put out between 2017 and 2020 – his last releases to date, although he obliquely mentioned a new album during his chaotic Coachella appearance in 2023 .” Etymology
From oblique + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/obliquely