oblique

adjective \ ō-ˈblēk , ə- , -ˈblīk ; military usually -ˈblīk \

Definition of oblique

1 a :neither perpendicular nor parallel :inclined

oblique lines

b :having the axis not perpendicular to the base

an oblique cone

c :having no right angle

an oblique triangle

2 a :not straightforward :indirect

In her speech she made only oblique references to the scandal.

; also :obscure

… much of what there is to see is nuanced and oblique — a shadow of a shadow of a shadow.
—New Yorker

b :devious, underhanded

… the open, above-board fury of his mind coagulated, thickened, and sunk to a dull, evil hatred, a wicked, oblique malevolence.
—Frank Norris

3 :situated at an angle and having one end not inserted on bone

oblique muscles

4 :taken from an airplane with the camera directed horizontally or diagonally downward

an oblique photograph

—

obliquely

adverb

—

obliqueness

noun

See oblique defined for English-language learners

See oblique defined for kids

Examples of oblique in a Sentence

Harden … , who missed a month with a strained left oblique muscle, has become one of the game's most intimidating starters in just his second full big league season. —Albert Chen, Sports Illustrated, 8 Aug. 2005
They were painted in oil paints on old-fashioned canvas. But the manner of their portrayal was oblique and enigmatic, with an element of hide-and-seek in which hiding most often won out over seeking. —John Russell, New York Times Magazine, 11 Nov. 1990
The driveway met the street at an oblique angle, and a jutting corner of the customer's cinderblock building, a large power pole, and a berm of trash (pallets, pails, chunks of wood) made it a dogleg affair. —Bryan Di Salvatore, New Yorker, 12 Sept. 1988
The short lines of the letter “k” are oblique lines.
gave the eavesdropper an oblique glance out of the corner of her eye

Recent Examples of oblique from the Web

But with the first baseman back from his strained right oblique Friday, the Orioles went back to Jones at leadoff.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "As Adam Jones heads back to leadoff spot, Orioles offense hopes for déjà vu," 14 July 2017
Single-leg exercises also help to strengthen the glute complex and an important component of our quad: the vastus medialis oblique (VMO).

— jason wanlass, idahostatesman, "Get a leg up on your training," 7 July 2017
The oblique cut is actually a classic technique used in macrobiotic cooking (her guiding theory, which prioritizes balance and wholesomeness), to derive the most nutrients out of an ingredient.

— priya krishna, Bon Appetit, "Why Are So Many Chefs Cutting Vegetables This Way?," 5 July 2017
Adduci spent six weeks on the DL with a Grade 2 right oblique strain.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers shuffle the outfield, activate Alex Presley," 5 July 2017
Duffy faced the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in his first start since sustaining an oblique injury on May 28 in Cleveland.

— rustin dodd, kansascity.com, "Royals send Miguel Almonte back to Omaha to clear room for Danny Duffy," 4 July 2017
First baseman Chris Davis, who’s recovering from an oblique injury, threw for the first time Sunday and will accompany the team to Milwaukee.

— peter schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles notes: Chris Davis could return right after All-Star break," 2 July 2017
D'AMATO: Corey Knebel gives Brewers edge at closing time AROUND THE BASES: This week in MLB Long road: Counsell has been saying since Chase Anderson suffered a strained left oblique Thursday that the right-hander would be out for an extended period.

— todd rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers' Jimmy Nelson missed bats at a high rate in June," 1 July 2017
The Brewers had a run of oblique injuries in recent years, but this is their first in 2017.

— todd rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers' rotation dealing with yet another injury," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oblique.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of oblique

Middle English oblike, from Latin obliquus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

oblique Synonyms

Synonyms

askew, aslant, atilt, cock-a-hoop, cockeyed, crazy, crooked, listing, lopsided, awry, off-kilter, pitched, skewed, slanted, slanting, slantwise, tilted, tipping, uneven

Antonyms

even, level, straight

Related Words

asymmetrical (or asymmetric), unbalanced, unsymmetrical; contorted, disordered, distorted, irregular

Near Antonyms

ordered, orderly, regular, uniform; balanced, symmetrical (or symmetric)

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, radii, rhomb

oblique

noun \ ō-ˈblēk , ə- , -ˈblīk ; military usually -ˈblīk \

Definition of oblique

1 :something (such as a line) that is oblique

2 or oblique muscle :any of several oblique muscles; especially :any of the thin flat muscles forming the middle and outer layers of the lateral walls of the abdomen

See oblique defined for English-language learners

Examples of oblique in a Sentence

We each received a list of every muscle group (back, inner thighs, outer thighs, quads, biceps, obliques, upper abs, etc.), with detailed comments on which ones we needed to change. —anonymous, Cosmopolitan, November 2007
He hammered on my back with both fists, but I had a lot of muscle layer to protect back there. Twenty years of working on the lats and the lateral obliques. I got hold of his shirtfront with both hands and pulled him away from the wall and slammed him back up against it. —Robert B. Parker, Mortal Stakes, 1975

Recent Examples of oblique from the Web

Covey, 26, went on the DL with a strained left oblique suffered in his last start May 23.

— colleen kane, chicagotribune.com, "White Sox reinstate pitcher Dylan Covey from DL," 15 Aug. 2017
For sure the obliques in the past have come from hip mobility.

— george sipple, Detroit Free Press, "Tigers' Daniel Norris pleased with bullpen session, added mobility," 8 Aug. 2017
A year ago at this time, Corey Knebel was pitching at Class AAA Colorado Springs trying to rediscover his game and his confidence, the result of a strained left oblique suffered at the end of spring training.

— todd rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers fireballer Corey Knebel earns first all-star nod," 2 July 2017
Being an actress offers the option of thinking of your body as the gross ghost between your head and the floor made up of triceps, obliques, and nipples.

— betty gilpin, Glamour, "'Glow' Star Betty Gilpin: What It's Like To Have Pea-Sized Confidence With Watermelon-Sized Boobs," 23 June 2017
That’s a huge gap there, but that’s just the reality of obliques.

— dennis lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres' Miguel Diaz exits win over Cubs with forearm strain," 21 June 2017
Short hops Maybin, out with a bruised oblique, hit for the second consecutive day and again reported feeling great.

— pedro moura, latimes.com, "Angels' Andrelton Simmons has been overachieving at the plate, but he wants to do more," 8 June 2017
Don’t swing—controlling the motion like this recruits the obliques and other stabilizer muscles, which demands tremendous core strength.

— jay willis, GQ, "5 Crunch Alternatives to Get Your Abs Popping for Beach Season," 28 May 2017
Brace through the core (engaging your transverse abdominals and obliques by pulling air in toward the trunk).

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "How to straighten out your poor posture," 18 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of oblique

see ¹oblique

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1608

See Words from the same year

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

oblique

adverb \ ō-ˈblēk , ə- , -ˈblīk ; military usually -ˈblīk \

Definition of oblique

:at a 45 degree angle

To the right oblique, march!

Origin and Etymology of oblique

see ¹oblique

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1687

See Words from the same year

OBLIQUE Defined for English Language Learners

oblique

adjective

Definition of oblique for English Language Learners

: not direct : not stated directly
of a line : having a slanting direction or position : neither perpendicular nor parallel

OBLIQUE Defined for Kids

oblique

adjective \ ō-ˈblēk , ə- \

Definition of oblique for Students

:having a slanting position or direction :neither perpendicular nor parallel

—

obliquely

adverb

Medical Dictionary

oblique

adjective \ ō-ˈblēk , ə- , -ˈblīk \

medical Definition of oblique

1 :neither perpendicular nor parallel :being on an incline

2 :situated obliquely and having one end not inserted on bone

oblique muscles

—

obliquely

adverb

oblique

noun

variants: or oblique muscle

medical Definition of oblique

:any of several oblique muscles: as

a :either of two flat muscles on each side that form the middle and outer layers of the lateral walls of the abdomen, that have aponeuroses extending medially to ensheathe the rectus muscles and fusing in the midventral line in the linea alba, and that act to compress the abdominal contents and to assist in expelling the contents of various visceral organs (as in urination, defecation, parturition, and expiration):

(1) :one that forms the outer layer of the lateral abdominal wall — called also external oblique, obliquus externus, obliquus externus abdominis

(2) :one situated under the external oblique in the lateral and ventral part of the abdominal wall — called also internal oblique, obliquus internus, obliquus internus abdominis

b (1) :a long thin extraocular muscle that arises just above the margin of the optic foramen, is inserted on the upper part of the eyeball, and moves the eye downward and laterally — called also superior oblique, obliquus superior oculi

(2) :a short extraocular muscle that arises from the orbital surface of the maxilla, is inserted slightly in front of and below the superior oblique, and moves the eye upward and laterally — called also inferior oblique, obliquus inferior oculi

c (1) :a muscle that arises from the superior surface of the transverse process of the atlas, passes medially upward to insert into the occipital bone, and functions to extend the head and bend it to the side — called also obliquus capitis superior, obliquus superior

(2) :a muscle that arises from the apex of the spinous process of the axis, inserts into the transverse process of the atlas, and rotates the atlas turning the face in the same direction — called also obliquus capitis inferior, obliquus inferior