tortuous
|tor-tu-ous|
🇺🇸
/ˈtɔr.tʃu.əs/
🇬🇧
/ˈtɔː.tʃu.əs/
twisted; indirect
Etymology
'tortuous' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'tortuosus,' where 'tort-' / 'tortus' (from Latin 'torquere') meant 'twisted' or 'to twist'.
'tortuous' changed from Late Latin 'tortuosus' and passed through Old/Medieval Romance forms (via Old French/Anglo-French influence) into Middle English, eventually becoming the modern English word 'tortuous'.
Initially, it meant 'full of twists' (physically twisted), but over time it evolved to include figurative senses like 'complex, indirect, or deviously intricate.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
full of twists and turns; winding (physically twisted or winding, as a road or path).
The mountain trail was tortuous, making the hike longer than we expected.
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Adjective 2
complex and intricate in a way that is indirect or deviously complicated (figurative: convoluted, indirect, or devious).
The contract contained tortuous clauses that made its intent hard to interpret.
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Last updated: 2025/08/28 18:21