convoluted

adjective

con·​vo·​lut·​ed ˈkän-və-ˌlü-təd 

1

: having convolutions

a ram with convoluted horns

2

: involved, intricate

a convoluted argument

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of convoluted

• complicated
• intricate
• complicate
• complex
• sophisticated

Examples of convoluted in a Sentence

At base stands a profound respect for the integrity of history and the complex and convoluted relationship between present and the past. —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

Recent Examples on the Web

What prosecutors say actually happened inside the Banfields’ Fairfax County home was the result of something far more convoluted and sinister — a deadly catfishing scheme that was motivated by an affair and relied on a fetish website to lure an unsuspecting man to his death. —Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026

The county’s One-Stop Permit Center provides convenient coordination, but applicants face delays waiting for complete design plans and navigating convoluted information. —Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

That makes sense; working for the city requires the ability to navigate a convoluted bureaucracy and attend innumerable community meetings. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026

The plan is, in itself, a sharp reminder of the communist system’s convoluted bureaucracy and centralized decision-making. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of convolute

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing convoluted

• convoluted tubule
• distal convoluted tubule
• proximal convoluted tubule

Rhymes for convoluted

• constituted
• executed
• instituted
• parachuted
• persecuted
• prosecuted
• prostituted
• recomputed
• substituted
• undiluted
• undisputed
• unpolluted

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Kids Definition

convoluted

adjective

con·​vo·​lut·​ed ˈkän-və-ˌlüt-əd 

1

: folded or curved in twisted windings

especially : having convolutions

2

: complicated in form : intricate

convoluted phrasing

Medical Definition

convoluted

adjective

con·​vo·​lut·​ed -ˌlü-təd 

: folded in curved or tortuous windings

specifically : having convolutions

the highly convoluted human cerebral cortex