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The Origin of Convoluted Isn't
If you’ve ever felt your brain twisting itself into a pretzel while trying to follow a complicated or hard-to-follow line of reasoning, you’ll appreciate the relative simplicity of the adjective convoluted, which is perfect for describing head-scratchers (and pretzel-makers). Convoluted traces back to the Latin verb convolvere, meaning “to roll up, coil, or twist.” Originally, convoluted (like its predecessor in English, the verb convolute) was used in the context of things having literal convolutions—in other words, twisty things like intestines or a ram’s horns. Over time it expanded to figuratively describe things like arguments, plots, stories, logic, etc., that are intricate or feature many twists and turns that make them difficult to understand.
Examples of convoluted in a Sentence
Ira Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
They are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone …
—Margaret Atwood, Harper's, August 1990
… she has been fashioning sequences of plans too convoluted to materialize …
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
To therapists, stepfamilies may present convoluted psychological dilemmas …
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Family Politics, 1983
a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
And his writing evolved along with the series, as the characters grew more morally complex, and the plots became more intricate and convoluted.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
But for Hall, the convoluted process of finding out about the ectopic pregnancy, and then undergoing emergency surgery, added layers to her pain.
—Emily Brindley
health Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
The convoluted story, peppered with various twists, lacks momentum.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for convoluted
Cite this Entry
“Convoluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convoluted. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
convoluted
adjective
Medical Definition
convoluted
adjective
