Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sidelong

/ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.78 in modern English

Syllables: side-long
IPA: /ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Directed to the side; sideways.

adj

Slanting or sloping; oblique.

adj

Indirect; suggestive; not straightforward.

adj

Along the side of something.

adv

Towards the side; sideways.

adv

Example Sentences

"He cast me a sidelong glance."
"She made some sidelong remarks about his manhood."
"The passenger train was signalled from one of the west end bay platforms along the Down South Line; as it passed through a crossover to the Up South Line the freight train, which had been travelling slowly to the Up South Line, over-ran the signal protecting the crossover and came into sidelong collision with it."

Etymology

1520s, from Middle English sidlyng (early 14th century), from side + -lyng (“(frequentative)”) (modern English -le (“(frequentative)”)). Reanalyzed as side + long.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sidlyng

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/
British English: /ˈsaɪd.lɒŋ/

Inflected Forms

more sidelong (comparative) most sidelong (superlative)

Frequently Paired Words

sidle sideling sidling

Synonyms

inside-out askance askant asquint squint squint-eyed squinty lateral

Questions

How do you pronounce sidelong?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/.
What does sidelong mean?: Directed to the side; sideways.
Where does sidelong come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sidelong

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sidelong”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sidelong”.
Repeat and practice — Say “sidelong” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.