crooked

adjective

crook·​ed ˈkru̇-kəd 

1

: not straight

a crooked road

Your tie is crooked.

2

: dishonest

a crooked election

crooked politicians

crookedly adverb

crookedness noun

Synonyms

• bending
• crazy
• curled
• curling
• curved
• curving
• curvy
• devious
• serpentine
• sinuous
• tortuous
• twisted
• twisting
• winding
• windy

Examples of crooked in a Sentence

a long, crooked line of people had formed in front of the ticket booth

the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses

Recent Examples on the Web

Tampa Bay is one of the most crooked places in America, according to fraud report data from the Federal Trade Commission. —Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025

Talley also said the pathway of the bullet as the pathologist in the case testified disproves any legal theory that Ferguson’s arm was crooked at a 45-degree angle. —Hetty Chang, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025

In a little callback to last season’s episode with perfectionist crooked accountant Ashton Hayes (Keegan-Michael Key), Kaya uncovers his work cooking the books for Pupetta’s Restaurant. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025

Nothing is, because mankind is made of crooked timber. —Armstrong Williams, Orange County Register, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see crook entry 2

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

crooked

adjective

crook·​ed ˈkru̇k-əd 

1

: having bends and curves

a crooked path

2

: not set or placed straight

the picture is crooked

3

: dishonest

a crooked card game

crookedly adverb

crookedness noun