athwart

[ uh-thwawrt ]

adverb

1. from side to side; crosswise.
2. Nautical.
   1. at right angles to the fore-and-aft line; across.
   2. broadside to the wind because of equal and opposite pressures of wind and tide:

      a ship riding athwart.

3. perversely; awry; wrongly.

preposition

1. from side to side of; across.
2. Nautical. across the direction or course of.
3. in opposition to; contrary to.

athwart

/ əˈθwɔːt /

adverb

1. transversely; from one side to another

preposition

1. across the path or line of (esp a ship)
2. in opposition to; against

Word History and Origins

Origin of athwart¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; a- ¹, thwart

Word History and Origins

Origin of athwart¹

C15: from a- ² + thwart

Example Sentences

To dive was to escape the heat of this place, a geographic hot spot athwart the equator.

From Nautilus

The hyper-wealthy host of a popular cable-news show somehow still manages to stand athwart the establishment, fighting for truth in the face of a shadowy left-wing cabal.

From Washington Post

One hot summer afternoon, I carried her athwart my hips into the pool at our beach club in Long Beach, New York.

From Washington Post

Armstrong is standing athwart recent trends at the highest levels of corporate America.

From Fortune

The New York governor was the foremost Democrat to stand athwart the Reagan Revolution.

From The Daily Beast

The new corporate social responsibility, redefined for libertarians, must stand athwart crony corporatism yelling "stop."

From The Daily Beast

Conservatives, to invoke William Buckley, have stood athwart this history yelling “stop!”

From The Daily Beast

How Robert Lipsyte, author of the new memoir An Accidental Sportswriter, stood athwart the sports page yelling, "Stop!"

From The Daily Beast

The glowing heavens, luminous athwart the clouds of fine, suspended sand, laid this ominous hint of dream upon the entire day.

From Project Gutenberg

Silently the turnkey passes the cell, like a flitting mystery casting its shadow athwart a troubled soul.

From Project Gutenberg

A hemlock had fallen athwart it, and they sat down where they could look out upon a majestic panorama of towering rock and snow.

From Project Gutenberg

A few pines were sprinkled about the slopes of the gully, and one or two of them which had fallen lay athwart the creek.

From Project Gutenberg

A trail of filmy vapor crawled out athwart the lower pines and covered them as it rolled rapidly upward.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crosswise
• from side to side