sidelong

[ sahyd-lawng, -long ]

adjective

1. directed to one side:

   a sidelong glance.

2. inclined or slanting to one side.
3. indirect; roundabout:

   sidelong comments about his appearance.

adverb

1. toward the side; obliquely.

sidelong

/ ˈsaɪdˌlɒŋ /

adjective

1. directed or inclining to one side
2. indirect or oblique

adverb

1. from the side; obliquely

Word History and Origins

Origin of sidelong¹

First recorded in 1515–25; side ¹ + long ¹

Example Sentences

“I’m turning on you,” Smith replies with a sidelong glance.

From Los Angeles Times

Though set in the early ‘80s, because that’s when Feig grew up, it is not, beyond some sidelong cultural references, nostalgia — there’s not the slightest suggestion that these were “happy days,” and in any case the observation is so acute and the performances are so alive that the series feels contemporary whenever it’s watched.

From Los Angeles Times

Gracus glanced sidelong at this enormous gnat that continued to buzz in his ear.

From Literature

Politics get only sidelong attention.

From New York Times

Against the committee-room grandstanding of popular memory, the series thus fashions the entire Eisenhower era from the raw materials of the closet, from subtext, secrets, sidelong glances and confidential tones.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ambiguous
• ancillary
• circuitous
• implied
• incidental
• oblique
• tortuous