Word
tilt
US/ˈtɪɫt/
UK/tˈɪlt/
Definition
v. to move or lean into a sloping position. You use this when you tip something to one side.
v. to cause to lean, incline, or slope by lifting one side or end. Often describes a physical movement or a shift in perspective.
Examples
“Tilt your head to the side to see the picture better.”
“The photographer decided to tilt the camera slightly to create a more dynamic and interesting composition.”
“The earth's axis is at a constant tilt, which is the primary reason we experience the changing of the seasons as we orbit the sun.”
Examples
simple
“Tilt your head to the side to see the picture better.”
contextual
“The photographer decided to tilt the camera slightly to create a more dynamic and interesting composition.”
complex
“The earth's axis is at a constant tilt, which is the primary reason we experience the changing of the seasons as we orbit the sun.”
Usage
The verb is both transitive ('tilt the camera') and intransitive ('the floor tilts').
Real-World Examples
“1 Seaport, a.k.a. 161 Maiden Lane—a six-hundred-and-seventy-foot, half-built luxury condo skyscraper in lower Manhattan—has been tilted at least three inches to the north since 2018.” “Workers at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida shrink-wrapped, lifted and then last week, slowly and carefully tilted the 152,700-pound (69,300 kilograms) retired space shuttle Atlantis, placing it at an angle only previously seen when it was in space.” “British landmark Big Ben is leaning to such an extent that the tilt can now be clocked with the naked eye, according to a report commissioned by London Underground and the Parliamentary Estates Department.” “Abu Dhabi’s new Capital Gate tower is, with its 18° slope, the world’s most tilted building.” Etymology
From Middle English tilte, from Old English tyltan, tieltan (“to be unsteady”), related to the adjective tealt (“unsteady”), from Proto-West Germanic talt, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”), see also Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Cognate with Icelandic tölt (“an ambling pace”). The nominal sense of "a joust" appears around 1510, presumably derived from the barrier which separated the combatants, which suggests connection with tilt "covering". The modern transitive meaning is from 1590; the intransitive use appears 1620. The sense of gaming frustration is said to originate with pinball.
From Middle English telte, tield, teld, from Old English teld (“tent”), from Proto-West Germanic teld, from Proto-Germanic teldą (“tent”). Perhaps influenced by Middle Low German telt, or Danish telt. Cognates include German Zelt (“tent”), Old Norse tjald (“tent”) (whence also archaic Danish tjæld (“tent”)). More at teld.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/tilt