What does edgewise mean?
"Edgewise" is an adverb meaning sideways — that is, with the edge of something turned toward the direction of movement or toward another object, as when a narrow item must be turned on edge to fit through a gap. In modern English, however, the word survives almost entirely within a single vivid idiom: "to get a word in edgewise," which describes squeezing one's own remark into a conversation so crowded with other people's talking that only a thin sliver of space remains. Because the phrase is nearly always negative — "I couldn't get a word in edgewise" — it has become the standard way to complain about a dominant talker. British English favors the variant "edgeways," while American English prefers "edgewise." Built from "edge" plus the adverbial suffix "-wise" (as in "likewise"), the word is compact, concrete, and instantly understood, making it a useful and colorful fixture of everyday speech.
adverbSideways; with the edge turned toward something or in the direction of motion. Most commonly used idiomatically in the phrase 'get a word in edgewise,' meaning to manage to say something when others are talking constantly.
- (Of an object) positioned or moving sideways, with its edge foremost or facing forward.
- (In the idiom 'get a word in edgewise') managing to interject or speak during someone else's continuous talk.
"The conversation was so animated that she could hardly get a word in edgewise."
"She slid the bookshelf through the doorway edgewise, since it was too wide to fit flat."
"My uncle dominated the entire dinner, so none of us got a word in edgewise."
Edgewise lives almost entirely inside one phrase — outside of 'get a word in edgewise,' you'll rarely catch it in the wild.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of edgewise
"Edgewise" is formed from the noun "edge," which derives from Old English "ecg" meaning the cutting side of a blade, combined with the adverb-forming suffix "-wise," from Old English "-wīse" indicating manner or direction. It arose in English in roughly the seventeenth century as a straightforward adverb of manner, alongside parallel formations like "lengthwise" and "crosswise." Its British counterpart "edgeways" developed similarly from "way." The idiom "get a word in edgewise," which now accounts for most of the word's use, became established in the nineteenth century.
Related word forms
How edgewise is actually used
Almost exclusively used in the fixed expression 'get a word in edgewise' (often negated), where it is informal but widely accepted in both speech and writing. The literal spatial sense ('sideways') is older and now rare. British English typically prefers the variant 'edgeways.'
Easily confused with edgewise
Edgeways is simply the British English equivalent of edgewise; they mean the same thing and differ mainly by regional preference.