oblique

1 of 3

adjective

ō-ˈblēk How to pronounce oblique (audio)
ə-,
-ˈblīk;
military usually
-ˈblīk How to pronounce oblique (audio)
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

oblique

2 of 3

noun

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

oblique

3 of 3

adverb

: at a 45 degree angle
To the right oblique, march!

Examples of oblique in a Sentence

Adjective 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 Noun 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 on the Web
Adjective
But the Taiwanese right-hander only threw off a mound for the first time Sunday after being sidelined by an oblique strain to begin camp. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Nestor Cortes never got going due and pitched once after May, Luis Severino experienced a nightmare before injuring his oblique Sept. 8 and is now trying to prove it with the Mets while Clarke Schmidt showed some flashes in his 159 innings. Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Chisholm only played 97 games last season, missing two stretches due to injury (first turf toe and then an oblique strain). Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2024 Houston improved to 17-15 despite playing without starting forward Dillon Brooks, who missed his fourth straight game due to an oblique strain, and Tari Eason, because of left leg soreness. Adam Spolane, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024 This team is one Logan Webb oblique tweak away from abject disaster. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Star infielder Gunnar Henderson suffered an oblique injury a few weeks ago while working out in preparation for spring training. Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024 Montgomery was limited to 64 games last season, including 37 in Double-A, but bounced back from the oblique and back injuries to played well in the Arizona Fall League. Phil Rogers, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 Franco is a cool-headed ironist with a flair for oblique narrative and a fascination with the detached worlds of the wealthy. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
Noun
Reverse Cable Wood Chops: The cable wood chop exercise uses a cable machine to create a wood-chopping action, building strength and power in the core and obliques. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 Mar. 2024 Glutes, triceps, obliques and chest muscles are all desired. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 Workout Overview This core workout will work your abdominal muscles, including the obliques and abdominis muscles. Jennifer Cohen, Health, 3 Dec. 2023 Your external obliques are a group of abdominal muscles that can be tricky to target. Jennifer Cohen, Health, 18 June 2023 Pilates is a challenging, low-impact workout that can be a game-changer for toning muscles, improving postural alignment, increasing flexibility, and priming your core for flatter, stronger obliques. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Sep. 2023 The obliques are muscles that span from the ribs to the pelvis and help the body’s ability to bend and rotate. Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023 This move works the obliques and shoulders, as well as the chest. Women's Health, 7 June 2023 The core rotation will also fire up your obliques, the muscles that run along the sides of your trunk. Megan Falk, Women's Health, 18 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oblique.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English oblique, oblike, borrowed from Anglo-French oblic, oblique, borrowed from Latin oblīquus "slanting, transverse," from ob- "against, facing" + -līquus, of uncertain meaning and origin — more at ob-

Noun

derivative of oblique entry 1

Adverb

derivative of oblique entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1687, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oblique was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near oblique

Cite this Entry

“Oblique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oblique. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

oblique

adjective
ō-ˈblēk,
ə-,
-ˈblīk
1
: having a slanting direction or position : neither perpendicular nor parallel
2
: having the axis not perpendicular to the base
an oblique cone
3
: having no right angle
an oblique triangle
4
a
: not straightforward or direct
b
obliquely adverb
obliqueness noun

Medical Definition

oblique

1 of 2 adjective
ō-ˈblēk How to pronounce oblique (audio) ə- How to pronounce oblique (audio)
-ˈblīk
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

2 of 2 noun
variants or oblique muscle
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on oblique

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