labyrinthine
Americanadjective
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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.
U.S. interest in commercial nuclear power weakened over time because of the industry’s immense capital costs, labyrinthine regulations, high-profile reactor accidents and public-safety concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
It requires a labyrinthine permitting process any time a “major emitting facility” is built, requiring air-quality modeling and public hearings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
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.
From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025
Cutler-Kreutz, who co-wrote and co-directed with his brother, David, laments a “Kafkaesque” immigration system labyrinthine enough to confuse native-born Americans, much less noncitizens attempting to follow the rules to gain legal status.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025
After around eight hours on the bus, we pulled into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, an enormous, labyrinthine building in the middle of the city.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
