labyrinthine

Also lab·y·rin·thi·an

[lab-uh-rin-thin, -theen]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth.

2. complicated; tortuous.

   the labyrinthine byways of modern literature.

labyrinthine

/ ˌlæbəˈrɪnθaɪn, ˌlæbəˈrɪnθɪk, ˌlæbəˈrɪnθɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to a labyrinth

2. resembling a labyrinth in complexity

Other Word Forms

• labyrinthically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of labyrinthine¹

First recorded in 1740–50; labyrinth + -ine ¹

Example Sentences

For now, the mood is exuberant at Renate, a labyrinthine club with multiple DJs housed in a dimly-lit complex near the Spree river, a Berlin institution which recently celebrated its 18th birthday.

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Perhaps more frustrating for consumers was what the FTC labeled the “labyrinthine” procedure to cancel Prime memberships.

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Itamar Moses, no stranger to unlikely dramatic subjects, compressed the epic saga into a compact yet labyrinthine book.

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A roving, sumptuous narrative entrenched in the labyrinthine relationships of a small southern Italian town, “My Brilliant Friend” follows Lila and Elena, schoolgirls growing up in postwar Naples.

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“And people are always shocked to see what it looks like for children to navigate a labyrinthine legal system by themselves.”

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Related Words

• convoluted 
• intricate 
• meandering 
• serpentine 
• tangled 
• tortuous 
• twisting 
• winding