obliquely
adv. manneradv. 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.
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.
From oblique + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 31, 2026