crooked

1 marked by a long series of irregular curves a long, crooked line of people had formed in front of the ticket booth Synonyms bending, crazy, curled, curling, curved, curving, curvy, devious, serpentine, sinuous, tortuous, twisted, twisting, winding, windy 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 Antonyms straight, straightaway

2 given to or marked by cheating and deception the common belief that gambling casinos are often crooked businesses Synonyms bent [chiefly British], dishonest, deceptive, double-dealing, duplicitous, fast, fraudulent, guileful, rogue, shady, sharp, shifty, underhand, underhandedRelated Words unconscionable, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous; deceitful, deceiving, deluding, delusive, delusory, false; artful, beguiling, cagey (also cagy), crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, subtle, wily; defrauding, devious, furtive, slippery, sneaking, sneaky, trickish, tricky; insidious, perfidious, treacherousNear Antonyms conscientious, decent, ethical, honorable, just, scrupulous, upright; forthright, straightforwardAntonyms aboveboard, honest, straight

3 inclined or twisted to one side the photo on that wall is crooked Synonyms askew, aslant, atilt, cock-a-hoop, cockeyed, crazy, awry, listing, lopsided, oblique, off-kilter, pitched, skewed, slanted, slanting, slantwise, tilted, tipping, unevenRelated Words asymmetrical (or asymmetric), unbalanced, unsymmetrical; contorted, disordered, distorted, irregularNear Antonyms ordered, orderly, regular, uniform; balanced, symmetrical (or symmetric)Antonyms even, level, straight

4 marked by, based on, or done by the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value a crooked scheme to bill the government for medical services never performed Synonyms fraudulent, deceitful, defrauding, dishonest, double-dealing, falseRelated Words beguiling, deceiving, deceptive, deluding, delusive, delusory, duplicitous, fallacious, misleading, specious; spuriousNear Antonyms legitimate, true, validAntonyms aboveboard, honest, truthful