ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsOoblique
ISEE/SSAThard
oblique
Meaning: indirect or not plainly expressed
oblique in a sentence
How oblique is used in real sentences:
Her oblique reference to budget cuts worried the entire staff.
The novel makes an oblique criticism of censorship without naming any government.
“She therefore designed an oblique survey, one that approached the forbidden opinion without asking respondents to declare it plainly.”
— from the passage Answers Behind a Screen
Synonyms for oblique
Other words for oblique — indirect, evasive and circuitous — carry the same meaning.
- indirect
- evasive
- circuitous
Antonyms of oblique
Words that mean the opposite of oblique:
- direct
- explicit
- straightforward
Where it comes from
From Latin obliquus, meaning 'slanting or indirect.'
Memory hook
O-BLIQUE suggests 'oh, be elusive': an oblique answer avoids the point.