Link Centre Dictionary

askance

as·kance

UK/əˈskæns/ US/əˈskɑːns/ uncommon rare
adverb (2) adjective (1)

adverb

1.

with suspicion or disapproval

  • “he looked askance at the offer”
2.

with a side or oblique glance

  • “did not quite turn all the way back but looked askance at me with her dark eyes”

adjective

1.

(used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy

  • “her eyes with their misted askance look” Elizabeth Bowen
  • “sidelong glances”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

Unknown. Possibly from Middle English askances (“as if”), or from Old French a escone (“hidden”) or Italian a scancio (“obliquely”). Compare asquint, Middle English askoyn (“at a slant, askance”), Dutch schuin, schuins (“sideways”), schuiven (“to shove”), schuinte (“slope”).

Phrases

  • look askance

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.