Pronunciation: /əˈskjuː/

Definitions of askew

adjective not in a straight or level position

Example Sentences

A1 The picture on the wall is askew.

A2 She noticed that her hat was askew after the wind blew.

B1 The shelves in the store were askew, making it difficult to find things.

B2 The painting hung askew in the museum, drawing attention to itself.

C1 The politician's reputation was left askew after the scandal.

C2 The entire plan was thrown askew when unexpected complications arose.

adverb to the side; out of line

Example Sentences

A1 The picture on the wall was hanging askew.

A2 She tilted her head askew to get a better view of the painting.

B1 The bookshelf was slightly askew, causing the books to slide off.

B2 The detective noticed that the clues were all pointing askew, leading him to suspect foul play.

C1 His whole worldview was askew after learning the shocking truth.

C2 The artist deliberately placed the sculpture askew to create a sense of imbalance and tension.

Examples of askew in a Sentence

formal The painting on the wall was hanging slightly askew.

informal Why is your hat all askew like that?

slang Her whole life seemed to be going askew lately.

figurative The company's plans were thrown askew by the unexpected market crash.

Grammatical Forms of askew

past tense

askewed

plural

askews

comparative

more askew

superlative

most askew

present tense

askew

future tense

will askew

perfect tense

have askewed

continuous tense

is askewing

singular

askew

positive degree

askew

infinitive

to askew

gerund

askewing

participle

askewed

Origin and Evolution of askew

First Known Use: 1525 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The word 'askew' originated from the Middle English word 'asquint' which meant 'obliquely' or 'askance'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'askew' has come to mean 'off-center' or 'crooked' in addition to its original meaning of 'obliquely'. The word has evolved to convey a sense of something being out of alignment or not straight.