Oblique Meaning
/əˈbliːk/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjNot erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or at right angles from, the base.
adjNot straightforward; indirect; by implication; (sometimes even) obscure, ambiguous, or confusing.
Sentence Examples
The oblique angle made the picture more interesting.
She had an oblique view of the city skyline.
He made an oblique reference to his past mistakes.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The artist used an ____ angle to create a sense of mystery in the painting.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The artist used ____ lines in the painting to create a sense of movement and dynamic energy.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"when it has a Direction oblique to that of the former Motion, it is either added to, or subtracted from the former Motion"
— 1725, George Cheyne, Philosophical Principles of Religion, page 16:
"The roadside section of the tramway is limited to 12 m.p.h., except over the oblique road crossings, where speed is restricted to 4 m.p.h., with a compulsory stop immediately before."
— 1951 May, R. K. Kirkland, “The Cavan & Leitrim Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 344:
"This mode of oblique research, where a more direct one is denied, we find to be the only one in our power."
— 1840, Thomas De Quincey, “Style. No. II”, in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, page 387:
"For the love we bear our friends, / Tho nere so strongly grounded, / Hath in it certain oblique ends / If to the bottome sounded"
— 1630, Michael Drayton, “The Third Nimphall”, in The Muses Elyzium:
"Then would be closed the restless, oblique eye / That looks for evil, like a treacherous spy"
— 1849, William Wordsworth, “Humanity”, in The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The artist used an ____ angle to create a sense of mystery in the painting.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The artist used ____ lines in the painting to create a sense of movement and dynamic energy.