labyrinthine

adjective

lab·​y·​rin·​thine ˌla-bə-ˈrin(t)-thən  -ˈrin-ˌthīn  -ˌthēn 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth : intricate, involved

2

: of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the internal ear

labyrinthine lesions

Synonyms of labyrinthine

• intricate
• complicated
• complicate
• complex
• sophisticated

Examples of labyrinthine in a Sentence

labyrinthine politics that left us totally befuddled

Recent Examples on the Web

Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026

This rhetoric neatly aligns with choice feminism, but the conversation feels similarly labyrinthine. —Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026

His legal situation is labyrinthine and almost requires a law degree to get your head around. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026

That space seems to consist of a labyrinthine maze of strange, unsettling and nonsensical rooms underneath a furniture store. —David Faris, TheWeek, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for labyrinthine

• acetylene
• adenosine
• amphetamine
• anthropocene
• antipyrine
• apomorphine
• apoprotein
• aquamarine
• arsphenamine
• azobenzene
• buprenorphine
• chlorobenzene

Medical Definition

labyrinthine

adjective

lab·​y·​rin·​thine -ˈrin(t)-thən; -ˈrin-ˌthīn  -ˌthēn 

: of, relating to, affecting, or originating in the inner ear

human labyrinthine lesions