Skip to the word

Added 30 September 2026

tortuous

/ˈtɔːt͡ʃuːəs/ adjective

In Latin: flexuosus, tortuōsus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tortuous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Twisted; having many turns; convoluted.
Oblique; applied to the six signs of the zodiac (from Capricorn to Gemini) that ascend most rapidly and obliquely.
Injurious; tortious.

Origin

From Middle English tortuous, tortuose, from Anglo-Norman and Old French tortuos, from Latin tortuōsus, from tortus (“a twisting, winding”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word