sidelong
adverb · adjective
Simple meaning
Directed to the side.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
siduhlawngSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɪdəlɔŋ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
With the side toward someone or something
“Seated sidelong to the window"- Nathaniel Hawthorne.”
Obliquely
adjective
Directed to the side; sideways.
Along the side of something.
Slanting or sloping; oblique.
Indirect; suggestive; not straightforward.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Typical Use
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: With the side toward someone or something
Used this way, sidelong is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Seated sidelong to the window"- Nathaniel Hawthorne.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “sidelong to …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: sidelong to …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: directed to the side
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.