Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb With disapproval, suspicion, or distrust.
  • adverb With a sideways glance; obliquely.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Sidewise; obliquely; out of the corner of the eye; askant.
  • To turn aside, as the eyes.
  • Perhaps.
  • As if; as if (saying).

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb Sideways; obliquely; with a side glance; with disdain, envy, or suspicion.
  • transitive verb poet. To turn aside.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb of a look or glance With disapproval, skepticism, or suspicion.
  • adverb Sideways; obliquely.
  • adjective Turned to the side, especially of the eyes.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb with suspicion or disapproval
  • adverb with a side or oblique glance
  • adjective (used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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

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Examples

  • Compared to these inducements, the fact that people would look upon her askance was a very insignificant consideration.

    Mary Wollstonecraft Elizabeth Robins Pennell 1895

  • Let me get a-- let me get a break and get Senator Warner to comment, because I noticed he -- he looked kind of askance at some of the things you were saying.

    CNN Transcript Feb 2, 2005 2005

  • You describe Tea Partiers as looking askance at Boehner's long tenure in leadership, his close ties to lobbyists and his two-pack-a-day baritone and retro Rat Pack persona.

    'Vanity Fair' Writer: What Will Speaker Boehner Do? 2010

  • Arsenio looks askance at his own Wikipedia article.

    I Find It Bonkers, By The Way - Anil Dash 2009

  • You describe Tea Partiers as looking askance at Boehner's long tenure in leadership, his close ties to lobbyists and his two-pack-a-day baritone and retro Rat Pack persona.

    'Vanity Fair' Writer: What Will Speaker Boehner Do? 2010

  • Analysts say investors could look askance at the wrong choice, particularly if the candidate is seen as close to the government, which in South Korea has often taken a strong role in the financial sector.

    Troubled Shinhan Faces Challenge Se Young Lee 2010

  • He quickly looked away, and then looked back again, as though that brief, askance glance had “cleared it.”

    Boredom & Ennui Christopher Snyder 2011

  • Hetty eyed him askance but clinked his glass all the same.

    How to Woo a Reluctant Lady Deborah Gonzales 2011

  • He pays £15 for a haircut and shave at the local barbers, looks askance at anything with a label that doesn't have Oxfam attached to it and, when asked where he got his jacket from, is proud to say "it was my grandfather's."

    Deconstructing the Unreconstructed Male Tina Gaudoin 2011

  • Men and dogs looked askance at Bâtard when he drifted into their camps and posts.

    BÂTARD 2010

Comments

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  • I thought it was a noun, meaning "the act of asking": "would you please respond to my askance?".

    August 22, 2008

  • No, more like "Why dost thou look askance at me?"

    August 22, 2008

  • So you're still waiting for an answerance, Pro?

    August 22, 2008

  • Pro: Haha! I need to use the word that way now. :-)

    August 22, 2008

  • As Jesus said, "If you have faith, askance will be given you!"

    August 24, 2008

  • "All we are saying is give peace askance."

    August 24, 2008

  • Said with arms akimbo?

    August 24, 2008

  • 'You can really have no notion how delightful it will be

    When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters out to sea!'

    But the snail replied, 'Too far, too far!' and gave a look askance

    Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.

    Would not, could not, would not, could not,

    would not join the dance.

    Would not, could not, would not, could not,

    could not join the dance.

    - Lewis Carroll, 'The Lobster Quadrille'.

    November 8, 2008

  • 1. with suspicion, mistrust, or disapproval: He looked askance at my offer.

    2. with a side glance; sidewise; obliquely

    March 18, 2009