crooked
Americanadjective
-
not straight; bending; curved.
a crooked path.
-
The picture on the wall seems to be crooked.
-
a man with a crooked back.
- Synonyms:
- misshapen
-
not straightforward; dishonest.
- Synonyms:
- fraudulent, deceitful, knavish, unscrupulous
-
bent and often raised or moved to one side, as a finger or neck.
-
(of a coin) polygonal.
a crooked sixpence.
adjective
-
bent, angled or winding
-
set at an angle; not straight
-
deformed or contorted
-
informal dishonest or illegal
-
informal hostile or averse to
Other Word Forms
- crookedly adverb
- crookedness noun
- uncrooked adjective
- uncrookedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of crooked
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English croked; crook 1, -ed 2
Explanation
Something crooked is not straight, like a trail through the woods, or your cousin's unfortunate set of teeth. Crook is a Middle English verb meaning "bend," which comes from the Norse for hook. So crooked means "bent out of shape or curving around sharply." A picture hanging diagonally on the wall is crooked, and so is a hunchback's spine. We also use crooked metaphorically to talk about being bent out of moral shape, so to speak. A crooked politician is dishonest and takes bribes, and crooked businessmen steal from unsuspecting clients.
Vocabulary lists containing crooked
Words from Shakespearean Insults
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Jacket"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
He successfully lobbied for laws in the U.S., the U.K. and European Union that provide financial sanctions against crooked foreign officials and human rights violators.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Or, a trauma to the area—like my cyst removal or other injuries—could make your crack crooked.
From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026
In late August, a TikTok featuring an eccentric, over-the-top British man with a black bob and crooked teeth went viral.
From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025
Cheever had been struggling to finish a novel and was furious at his daughter and her crooked teeth for interrupting him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025
The balustrades are dark wood, and the twisted inlays remind me of crooked fingers, beckoning.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
