crooked

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

Synonyms of crooked

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

Examples of crooked in a Sentence

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

Willms plans to call the Bureau of Land Management — the agency that oversees these parcels of federal land — to report the crooked stake. —Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 7 Jan. 2026

Begin by removing any suckers at the base of the tree, side shoots on the trunk, crossing or crooked branches, dead or damaged branches, those that are growing inward, and crowded branches. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025

This, unfortunately, includes an uneven fold or crooked tape line. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025

Byrne tends to favor movement that’s kinetic but a little crooked—the sorts of blunt gestures that, theoretically, anyone can do. —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see crook entry 2

First Known Use

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