twisted

adjective

twist·​ed ˈtwi-stəd How to pronounce twisted (audio)
: 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

Examples of twisted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Fine, white powdery substance on the upper leaf surfaces of the youngest leaves, shoots, buds and sepals, which also sometimes include twisted and distorted leaves and flowers and reddening of foliage. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024 Some of the bridge’s steel components are twisted and tangled under the water. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024 The rights groups included Israel’s B’Tselem, which documented beatings, threats and subjecting prisoners to twisted, painful bodily positions. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024 The twisted part is that, all things considered, and teenage melodrama aside, this should have been a perfect getaway. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2024 As cranes periodically swung into place and workers measured and cut the steel to prepare to lift sections of twisted steel, Rev. Ako Walker held a Mass in Spanish at Sacred Heart of Jesus, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) up the Patapsco River from the collapse. Mike Pesoli, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024 In such a text, lists can amount to a fragmentation of the (usually female) body of the beloved— an additional, twisted conquest to complement the one made off the page. Kanya Kanchana, Longreads, 21 Mar. 2024 Thankfully, there’s no sign of the twisted, defensive, loudmouth race-baiting that marks the legislative misbehavior of Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley, and their ilk in Regina King’s salutary portrayal. Armond White, National Review, 27 Mar. 2024 Blossoming out of beautifully twisted locs are four extra-thick braids, brought together at the base near the top of the head, and tied off at the ends to leave several inches of straight hair. Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twisted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twisted was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near twisted

Cite this Entry

“Twisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twisted. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on twisted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!