twisted

adjective twist·ed \ ˈtwis-təd \

Definition of twisted

:mentally or emotionally unsound or disturbed :sick

a cruel, twisted mind

And you know there will be some strange and twisted bitter man who will listen to all our messages.
—Cynthia Heimel

See twisted defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of twisted from the Web

The previous time up, Stanton, who went 1 for 10 in the series, twisted pretzel-like and fell trying to hit a Hill bender breaking in on him.

— craig davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Giancarlo Stanton loses glove over fence; Marlins lose again as Dodgers sweep," 16 July 2017
True-Crime Tours As the husband-and- wife team behind Esotouric, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave have built an empire on exposing L.A.’s grim underbelly with twisted joie de vivre and nerdy zeal.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
Steven, in his adventures, thus encounters floating platforms, impossibly twisted columns, and an upside-down pyramid.

— josh kramer, The Atlantic, "The Hidden Message in the Architecture of Steven Universe," 12 July 2017
Gollum was a tragic figure, a twisted and tortured creature who became seduced and ruined by the ring.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Andy Serkis Reading Trump's Tweets as Gollum Is Both Hilarious and Unsettling," 12 July 2017
Rubble and twisted rebar are piled high through the alleyways, burying mattresses, flip-flops and other remnants of the lives Islamic State fighters built there.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Iraqi forces declare victory over Islamic State in Mosul, but at a staggering price," 10 July 2017
Cars lie twisted and flattened under pancaked buildings.

— nick paton walsh, CNN, "Inside the last battle for Mosul," 10 July 2017
This year at Cannes, Jessica Chastain walked the red carpet with this twisted style.

— hannah morrill, Allure, "12 Pretty Hairstyles to Inspire Your Next Wedding Look," 30 June 2017
His quick death meant plenty of time for Xavier to pursue other acting opportunities, including a lead role in twisted love story Adore and a spot in Brad Pitt's 2014 film Fury.

— maria tallarico, Cosmopolitan, "The Supporting Cast of Twilight: Where Are They Now?!," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twisted.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of twisted

circa 1890

twisted Synonyms

Synonyms

bending, crazy, curled, curling, curved, curving, curvy, devious, serpentine, sinuous, tortuous, crooked, twisting, winding, windy

Antonyms

straight, straightaway

Related Words

zigzag, zigzagging; circling, coiled, coiling, corkscrew, looping, spiral, spiraling (or spiralling), swirling; circuitous, indirect, roundabout; meandering, rambling, wandering; irregular, jagged, uneven

Near Antonyms

direct, linear

TWISTED Defined for English Language Learners

twisted

adjective

Definition of twisted for English Language Learners

: strange and unpleasant : not normal

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twisted

Definition of twisted

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twisted Synonyms

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TWISTED Defined for English Language Learners

twisted

Definition of twisted for English Language Learners

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