slant

1 of 2

verb

ˈslant 

slanted; slanting; slants

intransitive verb

1

: to take a diagonal course, direction, or path

2

: to turn or incline from a right line or a level : slope

transitive verb

1

: to give an oblique or sloping direction to

2

: to interpret or present in line with a special interest : angle

stories slanted toward youth

especially : to maliciously or dishonestly distort or falsify

slantingly

ˈslan-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

slant

2 of 2

noun

1

: a slanting direction, line, or plane : slope

2

a

: something that slants

b

: slash sense 4

c

: a football running play in which the ballcarrier runs obliquely toward the line of scrimmage

3

a

: a peculiar or personal point of view, attitude, or opinion

b

: a slanting view : glance

slant adjective

slantways

ˈslant-ˌwāz 

adverb

slantwise

ˈslant-ˌwīz 

adverb or adjective

slanty

ˈslan-tē 

adjective

Synonyms of slant

Verb

• distort
• misrepresent
• twist

Noun

• slope
• inclination
• incline

Examples of slant in a Sentence

Verb

The sunlight slanted down through the leaves and branches of the trees.

She slanted her hat a little to the right.

They deliberately slanted the story to make themselves look good.

Noun

The computer keyboard is positioned at a slant so that typing is more comfortable for the wrists.

He sliced the carrots on a slant.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Cars 2 and 3 also appear to be slanted downward, in contrast to the position of the rest of the vehicles. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026

Their architect, Michael Lehrer, created a striking design with a butterfly roof slanting up in two directions from the center, zigzag walls and picture windows front and back. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Noun

The last pass Mendoza threw in the first half was his lone touchdown of the night, a slant to second-year receiver Jack Bech on third-and-goal. — Sam Warren, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

The oversized ribbon tie closures are particularly charming—especially in a children’s room—and give the stripes a cottagecore slant compared with some of the more modern sets on this list. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English slenten to fall obliquely, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect slenta to slope, Old Norse sletta to throw carelessly

First Known Use

Verb

1644, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing slant

• slant height

Rhymes for slant

• ant
• aunt
• cant
• chant
• gant
• lant
• pant
• plant
• quant
• rant
• sant
• scant

Kids Definition

slant

1 of 2 verb

ˈslant 

1

: to turn or incline from a straight line or a level : slope

2

: to interpret or present according to a special viewpoint

slant

2 of 2 noun

1

: a slanting direction, line, or plane : slope

2

: something that slants

3

: a way of looking at something

get a new slant on the problem

slant adjective

slanty

ˈslant-ē 

adjective

Medical Definition

slant

noun

ˈslant 

: a culture medium solidified obliquely in a tube so as to increase the surface area

a blood-agar slant

compare stab sense 2a