Meaning & use
the obliques
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluraltechnical
The muscles on each side of the waist that help you twist and bend your trunk.
Grammar: Always plural and usually with 'the': the obliques. You can say 'your obliques' or 'strong obliques'.
Patterns
- the obliques
- your obliques
- work the obliques
- strong obliques
The obliques run diagonally down the sides of the abdomen.
Side bends and twists are good exercises for the obliques.
She felt a sharp pull in her obliques after the workout.
Common combinations
- work the obliques
- This routine works the obliques with slow rotations.
- strengthen the obliques
- Pilates can strengthen the obliques and improve posture.
- external obliques
- The external obliques are the outermost layer of the side muscles.
- internal obliques
- The internal obliques lie beneath the external ones.
- oblique muscles
- The oblique muscles help you rotate your torso.
Synonyms and how they differ
- side abs
- Informal gym slang for the same muscles; use 'obliques' in medical or formal contexts.
- abdominal muscles
- A broader term that includes the front and side muscles, not just the obliques.
Word family
Commonly confused: the obliques or abs?
the obliques vs abs
'Abs' usually means the rectus abdominis at the front; 'obliques' are specifically the side muscles.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'the obliques' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The obliques are the side muscles of the waist, so twisting exercises target them. Option 1 is wrong because the singular 'oblique' is not the usual noun for the muscle. Option 2 is wrong because the front of the thigh has different muscles. Option 3 is wrong because 'the obliques' is plural, not a single muscle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the obliques”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.