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

Bernthal rebelled against the affluence of his upbringing from an early age and charted a more circuitous path to success than his two brothers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 July 2026

For example, one Iranian tanker tracked by Windward is traveling a circuitous path, loading Iranian crude at Kharg Island – Iran’s main oil hub – and routing through Iraq’s Basrah Oil Terminal before continuing on to its destination to China. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

More than a decade older than some of her competitors, Ohashi can’t help but giggle at how circuitous her path has been. — Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Unlike an iPhone software update, which just involves going to Settings and choosing Software Update, the route here is a little more circuitous. — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

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