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.
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What does "scattergood" mean?
a person who acts as though he or she knows everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.
a person who spends possessions or money extravagantly or wastefully; spendthrift.
a well-intentioned but naive and often ineffectual social or political reformer.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin 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
words often confused with tortuous
See torturous.
OTHER WORDS FROM tortuous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences 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 forms of tortuous
tortuously, adverbtortuousness, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical 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.