Synonyms of circuitous

circuitous

adjective

(ˌ)sər-ˈkyü-ə-təs 

1

as in roundabout

not straightforward or direct

we took a circuitous route to the airport so as to avoid the massive traffic jam on the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

• roundabout
• indirect
• circular
• winding
• twisting
• tortuous
• misleading
• serpentine
• sinuous
• rambling
• deceptive
• prolix
• subtle
• insidious
• meandering
• wandering
• verbose
• curvy
• crooked
• long-winded
• circumlocutory
• duplicitous
• deceitful
• dishonest
• devious
• tricky
• cunning
• crafty
• underhanded
• underhand
• sneaky
• calculating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• direct
• straightforward
• straight
• plain
• frank
• open
• honest
• forthright
• candid
• undisguised
• unconcealed

2

as in rambling

using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea

a circuitous explanation for what seems like a fairly basic concept

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rambling
• prolix
• talkative
• exaggerated
• wordy
• verbose
• long-winded
• circumlocutory
• diffuse
• communicative
• pleonastic
• redundant
• garrulous
• conversational
• windy
• logorrheic
• loquacious
• voluble
• repetitious
• talky
• tautological
• chatty
• periphrastic
• tautologous
• gaseous
• bombastic
• grandiloquent
• gabby
• gassy
• embroidered
• embellished
• highfalutin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• concise
• succinct
• terse
• short
• brief
• pithy
• compact
• crisp
• epigrammatic
• summary
• abbreviated
• abrupt
• aphoristic
• sententious
• blunt
• condensed
• brusque
• abridged
• laconic
• curt
• compendious
• shortened
• snippy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of circuitous

Congress is again trying to reauthorize funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or GLRI, but this year's effort has taken a circuitous route. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026

While the likes of Ndiaye and Allan have moved countries or even continents, Azeez has taken a circuitous route around London and several of its surrounding towns before signing for south-coast side Brighton & Hove Albion. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

BepiColombo launched in October 2018 and took a long, looping and highly circuitous route toward Mercury our solar system's innermost planet. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Stephen Hunt, chief development officer for VRT, told the council that virtually every rider complaint from long waits at the Senior Center to circuitous routes traced back to a lack of funding rather than mismanagement. — Noah Daly august 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026

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