obliquo
/oˈbli.kwo/
The Italian word for to skew is obliquo.
Obliquo is used to describe something that is biased, distorted or positioned at an angle. In a more general sense, it can also refer to an adjective meaning neither parallel nor at right angles to a certain line.
Meaning: to bias or distort in a particular direction (verb)
Which one should you use?
While obliquo is the standard term for something that is skewed or oblique, sghembo is a more colloquial way to describe something that is physically crooked or tilted. If the skew implies a direction that crosses or intersects a path, use trasversale (transverse or crosswise).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adverbial form of the adjective obliquo is obliquamente (skewedly or obliquely). To describe the state of being skewed or oblique, use the noun obliquità (skewness or obliquity). The gerund form of sbilanciare is sbilanciando.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /oˈbli.kwo/.
Did you know?
- To describe a person who is 'skewed' or 'lopsided' in their character, Italians might use the word storto, which literally means 'bent' but carries a heavy social stigma of being 'wrong' or 'dishonest'.
- Italian uses the word obliquo to describe the muscles of the abdomen, known as the obliqui addominali.
- In Italian, the word obliquo is used in grammar to describe 'oblique cases', referring to any noun form that is not the nominative.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are discussing a statistical report at work.
- MatteoHai visto i numeri del rapporto, Martina?Did you see the numbers in the report, Martina?
- MartinaSì, ma credo che il dato sia obliquo.Yes, but I think the data is skewed.
- MatteoPerché pensi che sia distorto?Why do you think it is distorted?
- MartinaPerché abbiamo intervistato troppe persone giovani.Because we interviewed too many young people.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry obliquo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
