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tortuous

[ tawr-choo-uhs ]
/ ˈtɔr tʃu əs /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tortuous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.
not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.

RELATED CONTENT

What Is The Difference Between Torturous And Tortuous?Separated by just one pesky letter, these two similar-sounding adjectives can be torturous to keep straight. Or is it tortuous? Let’s take a look at the definitions and applications of each. Both of these terms come from the Latin verb torquēre meaning “to twist.” This derivation is easy to detect in the meaning of tortuous, defined as “full of twists, turns, or bends.” Expanding on …
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RELATED WORDS

meandering, winding, convoluted, labyrinthine, circuitous, indirect, serpentine, twisting, tricky, bent, crooked, curved, roundabout, sinuous, snaky, zigzag, anfractuous, flexuous, involute, meandrous

Nearby words

  1. tortola,
  2. tortoni,
  3. tortricid,
  4. tortuga,
  5. tortuosity,
  6. tortuously,
  7. torture,
  8. torture porn,
  9. torturer,
  10. torturous

Origin of tortuous

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu(s) a twisting (tor(quēre) to twist, bend + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ōsus -ous
Related forms
Can be confusedtortuous torturous (see usage note at torturous)

Usage note

See torturous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tortuous

British Dictionary definitions for tortuous

tortuous

/ (ˈtɔːtjʊəs) /

adjective

twisted or windinga tortuous road
devious or cunninga tortuous mind
intricate
Derived Formstortuously, adverbtortuousness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tortuous

tortuous

adj.

late 14c., from Anglo-French tortuous (12c.), from Latin tortuosus "full of twists, winding," from tortus "a twisting, winding," from stem of torquere "to twist, wring, distort" (see thwart).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for tortuous

tortuous

[ tôr′chōō-əs ]

adj.

Having many turns; winding or twisting.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.