sidelong
1 of 2adverb
side·long ˈsīd-ˌlȯŋ 
1
: sideways, obliquely
2
archaic : on the side
sidelong
2 of 2adjective
1
: lying or inclining to one side : slanting
2
a
: directed to one side
sidelong looks
b
: indirect rather than straightforward
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Holland Cotter, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2016 Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022 As the train approached its final destination in the early hours of the next day, those on board became watchful, casting sidelong glances at any unfamiliar woman not accompanied by a man. April White, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2022 Their full-length album builds on that promise, casting a sidelong glance at modern life’s rubbish—nagging bills, bad parties, worse dates—over elliptical riffing and galloping basslines. Maura Johnston, Time, 3 June 2022 Reviews were mostly complimentary, but Jet played up the supposed hypocrisy that a novelist who espoused racial pride married a white man—a sidelong critique of Walker’s political fitness that followed her throughout her career. The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2022 With a sidelong glance at the woman eating soup, Lorna hastily slipped what was left of the sandwich into a napkin, transferred the napkin into her coat pocket, and rose from the table. Colin Barrett, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Mar. 2022 For this ambitious session, featuring a sidelong suite and two Coleman originals, the two hornmen temper their outward tendencies by leaning back into their roots of blues and a raucous Pentecostal church gospel. Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2022 His face is usually glimpsed in peripheral vision or backlit or in a hurried sidelong glance that stops fearfully short at his chin. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 Jan. 2022 Soren’s project carries a sidelong reminder, too, of the defamiliarizing way that our phones see us. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2021 See More
Adverb
And there are some outstanding ones, like the high-polish oil sketch of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart that became the source of many other images, including the sour, sidelong-glancing Washington on the $1 bill. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2016 Adjective
Young suitors and ladies attend dances, ride horses, and trade yearning sidelong glances. Natalia Winkelman, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2022 As the train approached its final destination in the early hours of the next day, those on board became watchful, casting sidelong glances at any unfamiliar woman not accompanied by a man. April White, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2022 Their full-length album builds on that promise, casting a sidelong glance at modern life’s rubbish—nagging bills, bad parties, worse dates—over elliptical riffing and galloping basslines. Maura Johnston, Time, 3 June 2022 Reviews were mostly complimentary, but Jet played up the supposed hypocrisy that a novelist who espoused racial pride married a white man—a sidelong critique of Walker’s political fitness that followed her throughout her career. The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2022 With a sidelong glance at the woman eating soup, Lorna hastily slipped what was left of the sandwich into a napkin, transferred the napkin into her coat pocket, and rose from the table. Colin Barrett, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Mar. 2022 For this ambitious session, featuring a sidelong suite and two Coleman originals, the two hornmen temper their outward tendencies by leaning back into their roots of blues and a raucous Pentecostal church gospel. Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2022 His face is usually glimpsed in peripheral vision or backlit or in a hurried sidelong glance that stops fearfully short at his chin. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 Jan. 2022 Soren’s project carries a sidelong reminder, too, of the defamiliarizing way that our phones see us. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Adverb
alteration of sideling entry 1
First Known Use
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
sidelong 1 of 2
adjective
side·long ˈsīd-ˌlȯŋ
: made to one side or out of the corner of the eye
a sidelong look
sidelong
2 of 2adverb
: out of the corner of the eye
The boy glanced sidelong at the pie on the table.