tortuous
[ tawr-choo-uhs ]
/ ˈtɔr tʃu əs /
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 …
RELATED WORDS
meandering, winding, convoluted, labyrinthine, circuitous, indirect, serpentine, twisting, tricky, bent, crooked, curved, roundabout, sinuous, snaky, zigzag, anfractuous, flexuous, involute, meandrous
Nearby words
- tortola,
- tortoni,
- tortricid,
- tortuga,
- tortuosity,
- tortuously,
- torture,
- torture porn,
- torturer,
- 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
SYNONYMS FOR tortuous
Usage note
See torturous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tortuous
tortuous
/ (ˈtɔːtjʊəs) /
adjective
twisted or windinga tortuous road
devious or cunninga tortuous mind
intricate
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
tortuous
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
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.