labyrinthine
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth.
-
complicated; tortuous.
the labyrinthine byways of modern literature.
adjective
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of or relating to a labyrinth
-
resembling a labyrinth in complexity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of labyrinthine
Explanation
Labyrinthine is a good word to describe a place that feels like an enormous maze. A new student at a huge, sprawling high school is likely to find the building labyrinthine as she wanders the halls looking for her math class. If you've ever been lost in a hedge maze, you know what a labyrinth is. The adjective labyrinthine describes something that is as confusing, complex, or maze-like as a labyrinth. This could be an actual maze, a city, or even a convoluted idea. The word comes from the Greek labyrinthos, the structure built to contain the mythological Minotaur. In the story, Daedalus did such a good job making the building labyrinthine that he nearly couldn't find his way out.
Vocabulary lists containing labyrinthine
Words to Describe a Place
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"The Palace Thief" by Ethan Canin
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This Week in Words: July 20–26, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Labyrinthine corridors were part of Florence's culture of secrets," he said as we passed the office that Machiavelli once worked in, before we ducked into a room lined with 16th-century maps.
From The Guardian • May 11, 2013
Lizards Lounge in Their Labyrinthine Lairs The great desert skink is the homebody of the lizard world.
From Science Magazine • Dec. 22, 2011
If they bring along a passport and other relevant ID, MPs will be provided with a parliamentary pass, giving them the freedom to get lost in the Labyrinthine Palace of Westminster.
From BBC • May 18, 2010
In The Labyrinthine Ways he finds an almost ideal character for his talents: the last fugitive priest in a hypothetical Red-ruled Mexico.
From Time Magazine Archive
Around her waist glittered a cord of gold Labyrinthine links - the belt of the Amazon queen.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
