askew

[ uh-skyoo ]

adverb

1. to one side; out of line; in a crooked position; awry:

   to wear one's hat askew;

   to hang a picture askew.

2. with disapproval, scorn, contempt, etc.; disdainfully:

   They looked askew at the painting.

adjective

1. crooked; awry:

   Your clothes are all askew.

askew

/ əˈskjuː /

adverb

1. at an oblique angle; towards one side; awry

Other Words From

• a·skewness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of askew¹

First recorded in 1565–75; a- ¹ + skew

Example Sentences

Lane — the eldest member of the core group and its most magnetic — found writing in the midst of tour, in a familiar yet askew routine, to be a particular challenge.

From Los Angeles Times

But when classes started in the fall, I noticed something was askew.

From Salon

However, while in Atlanta, the 19-year-old was criticized for her hair being “askew.”

From Salon

The moon travels around the Earth as the Earth travels around the sun, though the planes of those orbits are slightly askew.

From Los Angeles Times

The first quake was alarming enough — a rumble more powerful than anything felt in Taiwan for a quarter-century, lasting for more than a minute on Wednesday morning, knocking belongings and even whole buildings askew.

From New York Times

Related Words

• awry
• off-center

How Do You Spell Askew?

Spelling tips for askew

The spelling of askew shouldn’t be confused with the somewhat similar sounding word eschew. 

How to spell askew: Think of askew as a combination of the adjective-forming prefix a– and the verb skew (adjectives like asleep and ablaze are formed in the same way). Or pretend that someone asks you if a picture frame is askew, and that you respond really rudely: “Do you even have to ask? Ew.”