ME ascaunce; form < ase quances < as(e), as1 + OFr quanses, how if < VL quam si < L quam, how + si, if; meaning < ME askoin < a-, a-1 + skwyn < Du schuin, sideways
Examples of 'askance' in a sentence
askance
He'd pulled off the wig and she hadn't looked askance as the other women had, but smiled and said, `I thought that was a rug.
Wood, Bari DOLL'S EYES (2002)
Even Reba was looking vaguely askance at Jake's glib dismissal of a human life.
Babson, Marian DEATH IN FASHION (2002)
They grinned at each other askance, with their collars still hiding their mouths.
Spencer, LaVyrle FAMILY BLESSINGS (2002)
1 (adverb)
They have always looked askance at the western notion of democracy.
Synonyms
suspiciously
doubtfully
dubiously
sceptically
disapprovingly
distrustfully
mistrustfully
2 (adverb)
`Do you play chess?' he asked, looking askance at me.
Synonyms
out of the corner of your eye
sideways
He glanced sideways at her.
indirectly
She referred indirectly to the territorial dispute.
awry
He was concerned that his hair might go awry.
obliquely
The muscle runs obliquely downwards inside the abdominal cavity.
with a side glance
Additional synonyms
in the sense of awry
Definition
with a twist to one side
He was concerned that his hair might go awry.
Synonyms
askew,
to one side,
off course,
out of line,
obliquely,
unevenly,
off-centre,
cockeyed (informal),
out of true,
crookedly,
skew-whiff (informal)
in the sense of indirectly
She referred indirectly to the territorial dispute.
Synonyms
obliquely,
in a roundabout way,
evasively,
not in so many words,
circuitously,
periphrastically
in the sense of obliquely
The muscle runs obliquely downwards inside the abdominal cavity.