sidelong

Sidelong is an English word that can function as both an adjective and an adverb. As an adjective, it describes something oriented toward the side or at an oblique angle, such as a sidelong gaze or a sidelong stride. As an adverb, it means moving or looking to one side or proceeding obliquely. The form combines side and long, and its usage has long included figurative senses that indicate indirectness or evasiveness as well as physical orientation.

Common usages include physical orientation and figurative statements. Examples include a sidelong glance, a sidelong step, or a sidelong approach to a problem. Figurative uses include sidelong remarks, insinuations, or criticisms, where the language signals indirectness rather than direct confrontation. In modern prose, sidelong is more likely to appear in literary or formal contexts; in everyday speech, "sideways" or "obliquely" may be preferred.

See also: sideways, oblique, obliquely, lateral. Note that "sideline" is a different noun referring to the side boundary or a secondary activity. Etymology traces to side and long, with the sense shift from physical orientation to figurative indirectness common in English usage.