tortuous
[ tawr-choo-uhs ]
/ ˈtɔr tʃu əs /
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adjective
full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.
not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.
SYNONYMS FOR tortuous
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Origin of tortuous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu(s) “a twisting” (torquēre “to twist, bend” + -tus suffix of verbal action) + -ōsus adjective suffix; see -ous
words often confused with tortuous
See torturous.
OTHER WORDS FROM tortuous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.