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

And though a second, thick stucco layer with bits of cork was an insulation novelty imported from Italy, its properties meant that the walls could remain authentically crooked. —Julie Lasky, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

What he’s actually done is fake his death to create a template for a new life by stealing $90 million from a client of his crooked law firm. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025

Memoir Dayspring Anthony Oliveira And the Word became flesh: coarse hair, crooked smile, the taste of salt on his clavicle. —Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025

The Child chair, appropriately, features a wide, crooked grin. —Natalia Torija, Curbed, 3 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