crooked

1 of 2

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

crooked

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of crook entry 1

Synonyms of crooked

Adjective

• curved
• twisted
• winding
• curving
• twisting
• serpentine

Examples of crooked in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Cowin soon shifted to straighter technical methods applied to crooked storylines. — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

In addition, there are crooked cops on the inside trying to spring El Chapo, so the arresting officers need to quickly figure out who to trust. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

If the stove is level but a burner looks crooked or heats unevenly, the problem may be the burner, not the appliance. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026

Music takes on a different purpose by mid-August—who isn’t feeling a little lazy and crooked by now, spiritually overserved and ready for a nap? — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see crook entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

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