tortuous

adjective

tor·​tu·​ous ˈtȯrch-wəs How to pronounce tortuous (audio)
ˈtȯr-chə-
1
: marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns : winding
a tortuous path
2
a
: marked by devious or indirect tactics : crooked, tricky
a tortuous conspiracy
b
: circuitous, involved
the tortuous jargon of legal forms
tortuously adverb
tortuousness noun

Did you know?

Be careful not to confuse tortuous with torturous. These two words are relatives—both ultimately come from the Latin verb torquere, which means "to twist," "to wind," or "to wrench"—but tortuous means "winding" or "crooked," whereas torturous means "painfully unpleasant." Something tortuous, such as a twisting mountain road, might also be torturous (if, for example, you have to ride up that road on a bicycle), but that doesn't make these words synonyms. The twists and turns that mark a tortuous thing can be literal ("a tortuous path" or "a tortuous river") or figurative ("a tortuous argument" or "a tortuous explanation"), but you should veer away from using the term if no implication of winding or crookedness is present.

Examples of tortuous in a Sentence

a tortuous path up the mountain a tortuous mountain road marked by numerous hairpin turns
Recent Examples on the Web The Hollywood Reporter published an article in July of this year about the film's allegedly tortuous post-production. Clark Collis, EW.com, 13 Sep. 2023 The motion detailed a tortuous series of meetings and negotiations that eventually led to that plan being approved by the City Council last month, 447 days late. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Apple’s car project has had a long and tortuous history, complicated by the fact that the company rarely comments publicly on the effort. Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 3 Feb. 2024 But many high-profile legal cases involving police misconduct have yet to reach a trial — or never will — after years of tortuous investigations, further fueling a sense that the system is stacked against victims of police brutality. Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 In her teens, her father died, after a long, tortuous illness from a rare heart abnormality. A.l. Bardach, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Dec. 2023 The collapse of the tortuous year-and-a-half partnership, Bratcher notes, came as Sound of Freedom was taking off in theaters. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2023 The characters navigate the tortuous terrain of regret and loss, immersing the reader in the lasting impact of collective experiences. Roxsy Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023 The Israelis and Egypt have begun allowing some aid into Gaza, after weeks of tortuous diplomatic negotiations. Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tortuous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French tortueux, from Latin tortuosus, from tortus twist, from torquēre to twist

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tortuous was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near tortuous

Cite this Entry

“Tortuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortuous. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tortuous

adjective
tor·​tu·​ous ˈtȯrch-(ə-)wəs How to pronounce tortuous (audio)
: having many twists and turns
tortuously adverb

Medical Definition

tortuous

adjective
tor·​tu·​ous ˈtȯrch-(ə-)wəs How to pronounce tortuous (audio)
: marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns
a tortuous blood vessel
tortuosity noun
plural tortuosities
torturously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tortuous

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