tortuous
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tortuous
circuitous; devious; full of twists, turns, or bends: a tortuous road up the mountain
Not to be confused with:
torturous – pertains to suffering: We toil in the torturous heat.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
tor·tu·ous
(tôr′cho͞o-əs)adj.
1. Having or marked by repeated turns or bends; winding or twisting: a tortuous road through the mountains.
2. Not straightforward; circuitous; devious: a tortuous plot; tortuous reasoning.
3. Highly involved; complex: tortuous legal procedures.
[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin tortuōsus, from tortus, a twisting, from past participle of torquēre, to twist; see terkw- in Indo-European roots.]
tor′tu·ous·ly adv.
tor′tu·ous·ness n.
Usage Note: Although tortuous and torturous both come from the Latin word torquēre, "to twist," their primary meanings are distinct. Tortuous means "twisting" (a tortuous road) or by extension "complex" or "devious." Torturous refers primarily to torture and the pain associated with it. However, torturous also can be used in the sense of "twisted, strained, belabored" and tortured is an even stronger synonym: a tortured analogy.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tortuous
(ˈtɔːtjʊəs)adj
1. twisted or winding: a tortuous road.
2. devious or cunning: a tortuous mind.
3. intricate
ˈtortuously adv
ˈtortuousness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
tor•tu•ous
(ˈtɔr tʃu əs)adj.
1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked.
2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; circuitous: tortuous negotiations.
3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked; devious.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tortuōsus=tortu(s) a twisting (tor(quēre) to twist, bend + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ōsus -ous]
tor′tu•ous•ly, adv.
tor′tu•ous•ness, n.
usage: See torturous.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
tortuous
, torturous - Tortuous is "winding, crooked, full of twists and turns," and torturous, based on "torture," is "painful, characterized by suffering."See also related terms for torture.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Adj. | 1. | tortuous - highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious; "the Byzantine tax structure"; "Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship"; "convoluted legal language"; "convoluted reasoning"; "the plot was too involved"; "a knotty problem"; "got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering"; "Oh, what a tangled web we weave"- Sir Walter Scott; "tortuous legal procedures"; "tortuous negotiations lasting for months" complex - complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts; "a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody"; "a complex mass of diverse laws and customs" |
2. | tortuous - marked by repeated turns and bends; "a tortuous road up the mountain"; "winding roads are full of surprises"; "had to steer the car down a twisty track" crooked - having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned; "crooked country roads"; "crooked teeth" | |
3. | tortuous - not straightforward; "his tortuous reasoning" indirect - extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action; "making indirect but legitimate inquiries"; "an indirect insult"; "doubtless they had some indirect purpose in mind"; "though his methods are indirect they are not dishonest"; "known as a shady indirect fellow" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
tortuous
adjective
1. winding, twisting, meandering, bent, twisted, curved, crooked, indirect, convoluted, serpentine, zigzag, sinuous, circuitous, twisty, mazy a tortuous mountain route
2. complicated, involved, misleading, tricky, indirect, ambiguous, roundabout, deceptive, devious, convoluted, mazy long and tortuous negotiations
complicated direct, straightforward, open, reliable, upright, honest, candid, ingenuous
complicated direct, straightforward, open, reliable, upright, honest, candid, ingenuous
Usage: The adjective tortuous is sometimes confused with torturous. A tortuous road is one that winds or twists, while a torturous experience is one that involves pain, suffering, or discomfort.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
tortuous
adjective1. Repeatedly curving in alternate directions:
2. Not taking a direct or straight line or course:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
tortuous
[ˈtɔːtjʊəs] ADJ1. (= winding) [path, road, process] → tortuoso
2. (= convoluted) [sentence, essay, logic] → enrevesado
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
tortuous
[ˈtɔːrtʃuəs] adj [route, road] → tortueux/euse
[logic, argument, process] → tortueux/euse
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
tortuous
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
tortuous
[ˈtɔːtjʊəs] adj → tortuoso/aCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
tor·tu·ous
a. tortuoso-a; torcido-a; sinuoso-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012