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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

sideways en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsaɪdweɪz/

Etymology

From side + -ways.

Meanings

  1. Moving or directed toward one side.
    • Giving Mary a sideways glance, he said,[…].
    • He gave the ball a sideways kick.
  2. (informal) Positioned sideways (with a side to the front).
    • There was a stack of papers in front of each seat at the table, but each stack was sideways.
  3. (informal) Neither moving upward nor moving downward.
    • Once we get out of this sideways economy, our figures will more accurately reflect what we're truly capable of.
  4. (informal, usually, with "with") In conflict (with); not compatible (with).
    • He was constantly getting sideways with his boss till he got fired.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more sideways Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most sideways Degree=Sup lexicographic

Translations (19)

fi sivuttainen (moving or directed towards one side) · es de lado (moving or directed towards one side) · kix ì (moving or directed towards one side) · de auf der Stelle tretend (neither moving up nor moving down) · pl bokiem (positioned sideways) · es de refilón (moving or directed towards one side) · de seitlich (positioned sideways) · de Seiten- (moving or directed towards one side) · es de costadillo (moving or directed towards one side) · ga cliathánach (moving or directed towards one side) · eo flanken (moving or directed towards one side) · grc λέχριος (moving or directed towards one side) · pl bokiem (moving or directed towards one side) · pl na bok (neither moving up nor moving down) · es de soslayo (moving or directed towards one side) · es de reojo (moving or directed towards one side) · ga cliathánach (positioned sideways) · de seitlich (moving or directed towards one side) · es de costado (moving or directed towards one side)

sideways en · ADV · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsaɪdweɪz/

Etymology

From side + -ways.

Meanings

  1. With a side to the front.
    • He builds houses sideways, with the front door on the side.
  2. Towards one side.
    • A bishop moves only diagonally; a rook, only sideways, forward, and back.
    • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;[…]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
    • He looked sideways at the new arrival, wondering who she was.
  3. Askance; sidelong.
  4. (informal) Neither upward nor downward.
    • The economy has been moving sideways for several months now.
  5. (US, colloquial) Not as planned; towards a worse outcome.
    • It feels like the probability of something going sideways here is higher. 2023 May 20, Tabby Kinder, George Hammond, quoting Ivan Matkovic, “So long, San Francisco”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1:
    • We realized the project could go sideways very quickly if we didn't get the sales and marketing people on our side.
    • As we walked deeper into the darkness, we both knew this could go sideways in a heartbeat. We were sitting ducks. Birds on a wire. Canaries in a coalmine. 2011, D. P. Lyle, chapter 78, in Hot Lights, Cold Steel, →ISBN, page 340:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most sideways Degree=Sup lexicographic
more sideways Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Antonyms

directly · forwards · backwards · towards

Deriveds

spelled sideways · knock sideways · go fuck yourself sideways · fuck me sideways · sideways-on · move sideways

Hypernyms

obliquely · indirectly

Relateds

skewly

Synonyms

sidewise · sidely · askant · sideling · askile · laterally · askance · sideyways · sidelong · broadside · south · sideward · sideways

Translations (30)

de schief (askance) · nb sideveis (towards one side) · de seitwärts (towards one side) · nb sidelengs (towards one side) · nn sidelengs (towards one side) · de schräg (askance) · de auf der Stelle (neither upward nor downward) · pl na bok (towards one side) · fi vinottain (askance) · pl na bok (neither upward nor downward) · pl bokiem (towards one side) · de zu Seite (towards one side) · pl bokiem (with a side to the front) · de seitlich (with a side to the front) · la oblīquē (with a side to the front) · fi vinosti (askance) · de seitwärts (askance) · fr de côté (towards one side) · nl zijwaarts (with a side to the front) · fi sivuttain (towards one side) · fi viistossa (askance) · grc λικριφίς (with a side to the front) · fi viistoon (askance) · pdt dwäa (towards one side) · fr de travers (askance) · fr de côté (with a side to the front) · pl z ukosa (askance) · fi sivulle (towards one side) · fi sivuttain (with a side to the front) · fi vinossa (askance)

sideways en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈsaɪdweɪz/

Etymology

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Meanings

  1. (form-of, plural) plural of sideway
    form of sideway
    • And he was just taking byways and sideways, travelling in the peripheries of civilization, yeah? 2002, Joseph Brodsky, Cynthia L. Haven, Joseph Brodsky: Conversations, page 169:
    • Expansion of economic activities resulted in the construction of a so—called fishbone pattern of roads and sideways. 2013, Pitou van Dijck, The Impact of the IIRSA Road Infrastructure Programme on Amazonia, page 81:
    • In time our way merged into a throng of cars flowing here and there on the highways and sideways of the north side of Los Angeles. 2006, David Haskell, Roundabout the USA, page 103: