tortuous

adjective

tor·​tu·​ous ˈtȯr-chə-wəs 

ˈtȯrch-

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 veer away from using the 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

Examples of tortuous in a Sentence

a tortuous path up the mountain

a tortuous mountain road marked by numerous hairpin turns

Recent Examples on the Web

Maria certainly has elements of this in its depiction of the singer’s tortuous relationship with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who eventually left her for Jackie Kennedy. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024

Macron backed the law in its tortuous course through parliament, but, in an unusual twist, has said that some articles appear unconstitutional. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2024

An anecdote from Shostakovich’s last years adds a grace note to the tortuous history of the Fifth. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024

Throughout it all, the Biden administration, with allies Egypt and Qatar, engaged in tortuous talks to reach a cessation of hostilities. —Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024

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

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Kids Definition

tortuous

adjective

tor·​tu·​ous ˈtȯrch-(ə-)wəs 

: having many twists and turns

tortuously adverb

Medical Definition

tortuous

adjective

tor·​tu·​ous ˈtȯrch-(ə-)wəs 

: marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns

a tortuous blood vessel

tortuosity

ˈtȯr-chə-ˈwäs-ət-ē 

noun

plural tortuosities

torturously adverb