askance

WOTD – 18 June 2008    

English

Alternative forms

• askaunce (obsolete)

Etymology

Compare Dutch schuin, schuins, sideways, schuiven to shove, schuinte slope. Compare asquint.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /əˈskænts/, /əˈskɑːnts/
• (US) IPA: /əˈskænts/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɑːns

Adverb

askance (not comparable)

1. (of a look or glance) With disapproval, skepticism, or suspicion.

   The beggar asked for change, but the haughty woman only looked at him askance.

   • 1932 — Clark Ashton Smith, The Maker of Gargoyles

     The scandal of opposition died down, and the stone-carver himself, though the town-folk continued to eye him askance, was able to secure other work through the favor of discriminating patrons.

   • Gladstone

     Both […] were viewed askance by authority.

   • Landor

     My palfrey eyed them askance.

2. Sideways; obliquely.
   • 1896 — H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau, chapter 8

     I glanced askance at this strange creature, and found him watching me with his queer, restless eyes.

   • 1878 — Henry James, The Europeans, chapter 1

     ...the head-stones in the grave-yard beneath seemed to be holding themselves askance to keep it out of their faces.

Synonyms

• (with disapproval, skepticism): skeptically, suspiciously
• (sideways, obliquely): obliquely, sideways

Translations

of look: with disapproval

• Bulgarian: подозрително (bg) (podozritelno)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不贊成地 (cmn), 不赞成地 (cmn) (bù zànchéng de) (disapprovingly), 懷疑地 (cmn), 怀疑地 (cmn) (huáiyí de) (with suspicion)

• Czech: podezřívavě (cs)
• Finnish: karsaasti (fi)
• French: avec méfiance (fr)
• Italian: storto (it)

• Japanese: 疑わしそうに (ja) (うたがわしそうに, tagawashisō ni)
• Macedonian: напреку (mk) (nápreku)
• Portuguese: com receio (pt)
• Russian: с подозрением (ru) (s podozrénijem), подозрительно (ru) (podozrítelʹno), неодобрительно (ru) (neodobrítelʹno) (disapprovingly), с упрёком (ru) (s uprjókom) (reproachingly)
• Spanish: con recelo (es)
• Swedish: misstroget (sv)

sideways, obliquely

• Bulgarian: накриво (bg) (nakrivo), изкосо (bg) (izkoso)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 傾斜地 (cmn), 倾斜地 (cmn) (qīngxié de)

• Czech: úkosem (cs)
• Finnish: sivuttain (fi) (sideways), nurkkasilmällä (fi) (obliquely)
• German: schief (de), seitwärts (de), quer (de)
• Italian: obliquamente (it)

• Japanese: 横目で (ja) (よこめで, yokome de), 斜めに (ja) (ななめに, naname ni)
• Macedonian: накосо (mk) (nákoso)
• Russian: искоса (ru) (ískosa), косо (ru) (kóso), криво (ru) (krívo), сбоку (ru) (sbóku)
• Spanish: de reojo (es)

Adjective

askance (not comparable)

1. Turned to the side, especially of the eyes.
   • 1855 — Robert Browning, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came

     My first thought was, he lied in every word,
     That hoary cripple, with malicious eye
     Askance to watch the working of his lie

Synonyms

• (turned to the side): oblique, sideways