twisted

[twis-tid]

adjective

1. interwoven or combined by winding together, as strands or threads; formed in this way.

   It was Roebling who invented the twisted wire cable used in bridge supports.

2. altered in shape by turning the ends in opposite directions, forming a spiral.

   To remove an object from inside the lower eyelid, wet the end of a twisted piece of tissue and touch it to the object.

3. turned sharply or wrenched out of place; injured in this way.

   I hadn't touched a skateboard in almost a year because of a twisted ankle.

4. (of a person’s features) distorted or contorted by tensing or contracting the facial muscles.

   He made a twisted face as he bent down to look at the disgusting mess.

5. (of words) having the meaning distorted or perverted.

   It is a sad day when outright lies and twisted words triumph over truth.

6. mentally or emotionally distorted; warped.

   It's perverse logic, but it explains how someone with a twisted mind can have a clear conscience.

7. tortuously bent out of shape.

   The twisted steel wreckage of the sunken ship can be seen in this sonar image.

8. taking a winding, curving, or bending course.

   Twisted vines curl, bend, and overlap while growing side by side.

   It's by a long and twisted path that I've been led to this moment.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of twist.

Other Word Forms

• twistedly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of twisted¹

twist ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Ms. Keaton’s Kay, an outsider to the Corleone family, carries the burden of being the films’ sole moral voice, the only one who rejects the Mafia’s twisted and bloody codes.

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One grabbed Woolf by the neck and twisted his nipple, leaving him bruised nearly a week later, he said.

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Researchers have developed a polymer structure shaped like a "Chinese lantern" that can quickly change into more than a dozen curved, three-dimensional forms when it is compressed or twisted.

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These compounds feature unique, “twisted” ring-like chemical structures and are recognized for their strong biological effects, including anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activity.

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“We talked about how they had twisted and turned every bit of honor in the Justice Department inside out.”

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Related Words

• coiled www.thesaurus.com
• complicated 
• contorted 
• convoluted 
• crooked 
• curled www.thesaurus.com
• gnarled 
• intricate 
• tangled 
• tortuous 
• wry