skewed

adjective

ˈskyüd 

1

: distorted from a true value or symmetrical form

problematic polling methods that resulted in skewed data

… a series of orange and yellow skewed shapes with mesh squares of different sizes …

—Natalie Savino

2

: deviating from what is normal, direct, or accurate

The treatment will later attempt to correct the anorexic's skewed [=distorted] perceptions about her body.

—Daniel Goleman

More broadly, some critics argue our über-emphasis on sports shows a skewed set of priorities.

—Kase Wickman et al.

This issue of control, and of the price paid for following the sometimes skewed road leading toward self-invention, is among the themes now being grappled with by Mary Harron …

—The New Yorker

Allowing even for my invariably skewed sense of direction, and the dark and sinuous roads that had delivered me to my door the night before, navigating the property is a challenge.

—Nancy Novogrod

Synonyms

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

Examples of skewed in a Sentence

he could see that the ropes had gotten all skewed in the collision

Recent Examples on the Web

Once the election results firm up, von der Leyen will still need the support of 361 MEPs in the new parliament, which looks more skewed to the right than before. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 10 June 2024

In today’s opinions newsletter: The lingering effects of the pandemic, a skewed view of farmers and Kari Lake’s defamation trial. —Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2024

Talk about skewed priorities, said Julia Angwin in The New York Times. —The Week Uk, theweek, 23 Mar. 2024

Our diagnosis a decade ago emphasized that income growth in the United States had become extremely skewed. —Kenneth F. Scheve, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018

Judges are the best and final defense of a system that is inherently skewed. —Ann Ravel, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024

Overall, the virus has a 50% mortality rate—but that could reflect a skewed population of people with more susceptible immune systems who are vulnerable to infection, since many cases lead to mild or no symptoms, or symptoms that aren't reported. —Alice Park, TIME, 3 May 2024

The last two seasons are a little bit skewed based on guys that missed the entire season that weren’t fully in our rotation. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024

This year’s iPhone sales in China were more heavily skewed toward newer models, Counterpoint analyst Charles Moon said, nudging up the average selling price per unit. —Vlad Savov, Fortune Asia, 3 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1