n. 1
A slope or inclination.
n. 2
The inclination of part of the body, such as backbone, pelvis, head, etc.
v. 1
To slope or incline (something); to slant.
Tilt the barrel to pour out its contents.
v. 2
To be at an angle.

Related words

Phrases: full tilt full tilt boogie tilt at windmills at full tilt axial tilt

Forms

Plural: tilts → arguments, combats, contentions, controversies…
Past participle: tilted
e.g. tilted → slanted, angled, leant, sloped…

Choose the right word

Tilt or Tip?

To tilt or tip is to throw out of a horizontal position by raising one side or end or lowering the other; the words are closely similar, but tilt suggests more of fluctuation or instability.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

controversy She has waded into one controversy after another.
arguing She always has an emotional outburst when arguing.
contention It's always been a point of contention between us.
leaning Ziri was leaning his back on a tree, arms crossed.
inclination I have a natural inclination towards organization.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
tilt		steady
controversy		falling
arguing		rising
contention		falling
disputation		steady
leaning		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: tip¹
4 letters: list¹, rock¹, pass¹, rush¹, cant¹, cock¹, lean¹, tent¹, sway¹
5 letters: shift¹, angle², pitch¹, slope¹, slant¹, joust¹
6 letters: combat², canopy³, wobble², awning², careen²
7 letters: arguing³, leaning², incline²
8 letters: argument³
9 letters: encounter³
10 letters: contention³
11 letters: controversy⁴, inclination⁴, disputation⁴
12 letters: contestation, disceptation

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (angle² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: inclinaison
Deutsch: Gefälle