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Synonyms for askance

Grammar : Adv
Spell : uh-skans
Phonetic Transcription : əˈskæns

Définition of askance

Origin :
  • 1520s, "sideways, asquint," of obscure origin. OED has separate listings for askance and obsolete Middle English askance(s) and no indication of a connection, but Barnhart and others derive the newer word from the older one. The Middle English word, recorded early 14c. as ase quances and found later in Chaucer, meant "in such a way that; even as; as if;" and as an adverb "insincerely, deceptively." It has been analyzed as a compound of as and Old French quanses (pronounced "kanses") "how if," from Latin quam "how" + si "if."
  • The E[nglish] as is, accordingly, redundant, and merely added by way of partial explanation. The M.E. askances means "as if" in other passages, but here means, "as if it were," i.e. "possibly," "perhaps"; as said above. Sometimes the final s is dropped .... [Walter W. Skeat, glossary to Chaucer's "Man of Law's Tale," 1894]
  • Also see discussion in Leo Spitzer, "Anglo-French Etymologies," Philological Quarterly 24.23 (1945), and see OED entry for askance (adv.) for discussion of the mysterious ask- word cluster in English. Other guesses about the origin of askance include Old French a escone, from past participle of a word for "hidden;" Italian a scancio "obliquely, slantingly;" or that it is a cognate of askew.
  • adv sideways
Example sentences :
  • When John Kenyon entered his office, he thought the clerk looked at him askance.
  • Extract from : « A Woman Intervenes » by Robert Barr
  • Claude, who was now growing embarrassed, had examined the girl, askance.
  • Extract from : « His Masterpiece » by Emile Zola
  • The lanky Sucatash looked at him askance, catching the note of sentiment.
  • Extract from : « Louisiana Lou » by William West Winter
  • Men were apt to look at him askance, half doubtful, half-indignant.
  • Extract from : « The Trimming of Goosie » by James Hopper
  • "You speak of the castle as if you knew about it," said the landlady, eyeing her askance.
  • Extract from : « The Old Countess; or, The Two Proposals » by Ann S. Stephens
  • Men pretending virtues as relentless as his own were often inclined to eye him askance.
  • Extract from : « Erik Dorn » by Ben Hecht
  • They eyed him askance, and eyed each other as they fell behind.
  • Extract from : « Two Sides of the Face » by Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
  • If the people look at me askance, I can't expect any better.
  • Extract from : « Heidi » by Johanna Spyri
  • They looked at him askance and then at each other, significantly.
  • Extract from : « Rabbi and Priest » by Milton Goldsmith
  • As he bent his head she looked at me askance, and I thought she blushed.
  • Extract from : « The Madonna of the Future » by Henry James

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Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019