sidelong
6 synonyms and 1 antonym for sidelong, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Aimed or pointing to one side rather than straight ahead.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adj
Aimed or pointing to one side rather than straight ahead.
“He cast me a sidelong glance.”
2. adj
Not open or direct, but hinting at something instead.
“She made some sidelong remarks about his manhood.”
Opposites
Etymology
Dating from the 1520s, it came from Middle English sidlyng (early 14th century), formed from side and -lyng (‘(frequentative)’) (modern English -le, ‘(frequentative)’), and was later reanalyzed as side and long.
Full origin of sidelong →