What does "slant" mean?
A slope; an incline, inclination.
Slant
/ˈslɑːnt/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A slope; an incline, inclination.
- Grammar: slant is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aberrancy, aberration, across, action.
- Useful contrasts: balanced, nonliving level, balance in motion.
- Usage evidence: This newspaper has no political slant.
How to use "slant"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slant" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "slant" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "slant" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "slant" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "slant" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aberrancy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "slant", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A slope; an incline, inclination.
"The house was built on a bit of a slant and was never quite level."
- 2 degree of deviation from a horizontal plane wordnet
- 3 A sloped surface or line.
- 4 a biased way of looking at or presenting something wordnet
- 5 A run: a heading driven diagonally between the dip and strike of a coal seam.
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of slash ⟨ / ⟩, particularly in its use to set off pronunciations from other text.
"Initial inquiries among professional typists uncover names like slant, slant line, slash, and slash mark. Examination of typing instruction manuals discloses additional names such as diagonal and diagonal mark, and other sources provide the designation oblique."
- 7 An oblique movement or course.
- 8 A sloping surface in a culture medium.
- 9 A pan with a sloped bottom used for holding paintbrushes.
- 10 A depression on a palette with a sloping bottom for holding and mixing watercolours.
- 11 A palette or similar container with slants or sloping depressions.
- 12 A sarcastic remark; shade, an indirect mocking insult. US, obsolete
- 13 An opportunity, particularly to go somewhere. slang
- 14 A crime committed for the purpose of being apprehended and transported to a major settlement. Australia, slang
- 15 A point of view, an angle.
"It was a well written article, but it had a bit of a leftist slant."
- 16 A look, a glance. US
"All batters looked alike to him—I don't believe he ever took a slant at the averages;"
- 17 A person with slanting eyes, particularly an East Asian. US, derogatory, ethnic, slur
Verb
- 1 To lean, tilt or incline. ambitransitive
"If you slant the track a little more, the marble will roll down it faster."
- 2 present with a bias wordnet
- 3 To bias or skew. transitive
"The group tends to slant its policies in favor of the big businesses it serves."
- 4 heel over wordnet
- 5 To lie or exaggerate. Scotland, intransitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 to incline or bend from a vertical position wordnet
- 7 lie obliquely wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Sloping; oblique; slanted.
"The Laplander beholds the far-off Sun Dart his slant beam on unobeying snows, […]"
Example
"This newspaper has no political slant."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "slant"?
Common synonyms include: aberrancy, aberration, across, action, aim, anagnorisis.
How do you use "slant" in a sentence?
This newspaper has no political slant.
How do you pronounce "slant"?
Pronounced /ˈslɑːnt/.
Etymology
Late Middle English, from a variant of the earlier form dialectal slent, from Old Norse or another North Germanic source, cognate with Old Norse slent, Swedish slinta (“to slip”), Norwegian slenta (“to fall on the side”), from Proto-Germanic *slintaną. Probably influenced by aslant.