adverb
askance
uh-SKANS/əˈskæns/
With a sideways glance showing suspicion or disapproval.
The young woman looks askance at the enormous imitation gemstone.
Etymology
The earliest recorded sense is “sideways” or “out of the corner of the eye.” That sidelong look supplies the image for suspicion or disapproval, though the word’s ancestry remains obscure.
In context
Parvati is very unhappy. She looks in askance at this sage. And when he leaves, Parvati says, the boy has become rude.
More examples
- Several members viewed the proposal askance.
- He glanced askance at the extravagant claim.
- She eyed the unexplained package askance.
Similar words
- suspiciously
- Conveys distrust without necessarily a sideways glance.
- sideways
- Describes direction without implying disapproval or suspicion.