tentacular

adjective

ten·​tac·​u·​lar ten-ˈta-kyə-lər How to pronounce tentacular (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling tentacles
2
: equipped with tentacles

Examples of tentacular in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Thanks to Lou, Sr.,’s horrific example, Lou knows what to do, but her father, ever tentacular, gets wind of what’s going on. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 The image makes for a neat — perhaps too neat — metaphor for the tentacular reach of memories passed down the maternal line. Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 4 July 2023 The tentacular reach of the Ministry of Defense into the economy is almost seven decades old, but its growth accelerated under the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak and has increased even more under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who came to power in 2013. Yezid Sayigh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020 The premise of Wickworld is cleverly paranoiac, built around the tentacular connections between the crude underworld of contract killers and the shadowy overlords who keep them in action. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2023 But this may be one of the first for the Gen Z and younger generations that nails just how tentacular the psychology of such conditions can be, entwined with family dysfunction, social media influence and the run-of-the-mill patriarchy. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2023 The most striking aspect of Ta Prohm, however, is the enormous, sinuous trees that seem to snake upward from its rooftops, their long tentacular roots spilling from the structure’s windows and doors like water. Hanya Yanagihara, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2022 The series also chronicles the tentacular investigation launched in the aftermath of the tragedy. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 22 July 2022 The town is dominated by a tentacular organization, ominously called only the Company, that wants to take over Reza’s land. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tentacular.' 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

borrowed from New Latin tentāculāris, from tentāculum tentacle + Latin -āris -ar

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tentacular was in 1828

Dictionary Entries Near tentacular

Cite this Entry

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

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