labyrinthine

adjective

lab·​y·​rin·​thine ˌla-bə-ˈrin(t)-thən  -ˈrin-ˌthīn  -ˌthēn 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth : intricate, involved

2

: of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the internal ear

labyrinthine lesions

Synonyms

• baroque
• byzantine
• complex
• complicate
• complicated
• convoluted
• daedal
• elaborate
• intricate
• involute
• involved
• knotty
• labyrinthian
• sophisticated
• tangled

Examples of labyrinthine in a Sentence

labyrinthine politics that left us totally befuddled

Recent Examples on the Web

But speaking of Fraser’s tenure, Mayo sounded unusually sanguine about her progress in simplifying Citi’s notoriously labyrinthine corporate structure. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 11 July 2024

Scutt has reimagined the 1,250-seat August Wilson Theatre as an intimate club—warrens of labyrinthine new corridors and passageways, three new bars, and an auditorium reinvented as a theater-in-the-round. —Adrienne Miller, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024

Among travelers, its most famous sight is the labyrinthine City Palace complex, an ornate granite-and-marble waterfront fortress that’s practically a town unto itself. —Lila Battis, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023

Asian markets dance with complexity, geopolitics, and a dash of volatility Asian equity markets are taking center stage amidst a labyrinthine economic landscape. —Richard Torrenzano, Fortune, 26 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

labyrinthine

adjective

lab·​y·​rin·​thine -ˈrin(t)-thən; -ˈrin-ˌthīn  -ˌthēn 

: of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the inner ear

human labyrinthine lesions