tortuous

adjective

tor·tu·ous ˈtȯrch-wəs How to pronounce tortuous (audio)

ˈtȯr-chə-

: marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns : winding

a tortuous path

: marked by devious or indirect tactics : crooked, tricky

a tortuous conspiracy

: circuitous, involved

the tortuous jargon of legal forms

tortuously adverb

tortuousness noun

Did you know?

Be careful not to confuse tortuous with torturous. These two words are relatives—both ultimately come from the Latin verb torquere, which means "to twist," "to wind," or "to wrench"—but tortuous means "winding" or "crooked," whereas torturous means "painfully unpleasant." Something tortuous (such as a twisting mountain road) might also be torturous (if, for example, you have to ride up that road on a bicycle), but that doesn't make these words synonyms. The twists and turns that mark a tortuous thing can be literal ("a tortuous path" or "a tortuous river") or figurative ("a tortuous argument" or "a tortuous explanation"), but you should consider choosing a different descriptive term if no implication of winding or crookedness is present.

Example Sentences

a tortuous path up the mountain a tortuous mountain road marked by numerous hairpin turns

Recent Examples on the Web Then there is the tortuous business of tackling the essay questions themselves.

Isabelle Sarraf, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 Matt Ford said he was prescribed narcotic painkillers to sleep at night as his tortuous lesions multiplied.

Tanya Rivero, CBS News, 25 July 2022 The announcement this week was the latest chapter in what has been a long, tortuous effort to build a new aluminum plant in an Appalachian region struggling to create jobs.

Bruce Schreiner, The Courier-Journal, 21 July 2022 Over the next decade, Bochner assigned himself ever-more-tortuous mathematical tasks.

Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Their tortuous quests for exoneration intersected largely inside Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the notorious maximum-security prison on the Hudson River some 30 miles north of New York City.

New York Times, 7 May 2022 That's the purpose of the tortuous sequence of hearings, debates, and votes associated with Congressional legislation.

Samuel Goldman, The Week, 4 May 2022 The unexpected turbulence of 2022, including China’s tortuous positioning over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is still extremely unlikely to deny Mr. Xi a third term.

Chris Buckley, New York Times, 1 May 2022 Oaks were bizarrely forked and tortuous, ash trees elegant.

Brian T. Allen, National Review, 19 Mar. 2022 See More

单词	tortuous
释义	tortuous adjective tor·tu·ous ˈtȯrch-wəs ˈtȯr-chə- 1 : marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns : winding a tortuous path 2 a : marked by devious or indirect tactics : crooked, tricky a tortuous conspiracy b : circuitous, involved the tortuous jargon of legal forms tortuously adverb tortuousness noun Did you know? Be careful not to confuse tortuous with torturous. These two words are relatives—both ultimately come from the Latin verb torquere, which means "to twist," "to wind," or "to wrench"—but tortuous means "winding" or "crooked," whereas torturous means "painfully unpleasant." Something tortuous (such as a twisting mountain road) might also be torturous (if, for example, you have to ride up that road on a bicycle), but that doesn't make these words synonyms. The twists and turns that mark a tortuous thing can be literal ("a tortuous path" or "a tortuous river") or figurative ("a tortuous argument" or "a tortuous explanation"), but you should consider choosing a different descriptive term if no implication of winding or crookedness is present. Synonyms bending crazy crooked curled curling curved curving curvy devious serpentine sinuous twisted twisting winding windy See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences a tortuous path up the mountain a tortuous mountain road marked by numerous hairpin turns Recent Examples on the Web Then there is the tortuous business of tackling the essay questions themselves. Isabelle Sarraf, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 Matt Ford said he was prescribed narcotic painkillers to sleep at night as his tortuous lesions multiplied. Tanya Rivero, CBS News, 25 July 2022 The announcement this week was the latest chapter in what has been a long, tortuous effort to build a new aluminum plant in an Appalachian region struggling to create jobs. Bruce Schreiner, The Courier-Journal, 21 July 2022 Over the next decade, Bochner assigned himself ever-more-tortuous mathematical tasks. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 June 2022 Their tortuous quests for exoneration intersected largely inside Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the notorious maximum-security prison on the Hudson River some 30 miles north of New York City. New York Times, 7 May 2022 That's the purpose of the tortuous sequence of hearings, debates, and votes associated with Congressional legislation. Samuel Goldman, The Week, 4 May 2022 The unexpected turbulence of 2022, including China’s tortuous positioning over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is still extremely unlikely to deny Mr. Xi a third term. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 1 May 2022 Oaks were bizarrely forked and tortuous, ash trees elegant. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 19 Mar. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, from Middle French tortueux, from Latin tortuosus, from tortus twist, from torquēre to twist First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition tortuous adjective tor·tu·ous ˈtȯr-chə-wəs : having many twists and turns a tortuous path Medical Definition tortuous adjective tor·tu·ous ˈtȯrch-(ə-)wəs : marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns a tortuous blood vessel tortuous adjective as in winding marked by a long series of irregular curves a tortuous mountain road marked by numerous hairpin turns Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance winding curved curving twisted serpentine twisting sinuous crooked bending devious curvy windy curling jagged crazy circuitous zigzag curled spiral zigzagging coiled coiling uneven meandering indirect swirling spiraling looping roundabout circling corkscrew rambling irregular wandering spiralling Antonyms & Near Antonyms linear straight direct straightaway
随便看	comedic comedically comedienne comediennes comedies comedietta comediettas comedist comedo comedones comedos comedown comedowns comedy comedy ballet comedy drama comedy dramas comedy of character comedy of errors comedy of intrigue comedy of manners comedy of situation comedy relief comelier comeliest

tortuous

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective