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 Word Forms

• askewness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of askew¹

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

Example Sentences

Now slightly askew, we ascend many stairs and descend many hills from The Old Man and cross the harbor toward Kowloon.

From Salon

His face is a bit more fluid, untraceable, tucked into itself, echoed by the arm he holds across his body, drawing his striped tie askew.

From Los Angeles Times

In Berlin, he observes that “the edges of the houses seemed askew,” while “the street down below rolled away very straight into an endless distance,” evoking “how films had looked fifteen years earlier.”

From Los Angeles Times

And while Dylan often feels like an apt comparison for Lynch’s solo work—particularly how the electronic music experiments cloak his askew worldview and unorthodox vocals—he had a different intention with the cover.

From Salon

Roof shingles were peeled off and garage doors were knocked askew.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• awry 
• off-center 

When To Use

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.”