sinuous

[ sin-yoo-uhs ]

adjective

1. having many curves, bends, or turns; winding:

   a sinuous path.

   Synonyms: serpentine

   Antonyms: straight

2. indirect; devious:

   sinuous questions.

   Synonyms: roundabout

   Antonyms: direct

3. characterized by a series of graceful curving motions:

   a sinuous dance.

4. Botany. sinuate, as a leaf.

sinuous

/ ˈsɪnjʊəs /

adjective

1. full of turns or curves; intricate
2. devious; not straightforward
3. supple; lithe

Derived Forms

• ˈsinuously, adverb
• ˈsinuousness, noun

Other Words From

• sinu·ous·ly adverb
• sinu·ous·ness noun
• sub·sinu·ous adjective
• un·sinu·ous adjective
• un·sinu·ous·ly adverb
• un·sinu·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinuous¹

From the Latin word sinuōsus, dating back to 1570–80. See sinus, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinuous¹

C16: from Latin sinuōsus winding, from sinus a curve

Example Sentences

That is close to what scientists have spotted on Venus: two vast, sinuous lava flows oozing from two different corners of Earth’s planetary neighbor.

From New York Times

It’s those that helped to shape the peninsula, squeezing the land into sinuous bends and folds and tilts.

From Los Angeles Times

The worm, named Pectinereis strickrotti, has an elongated body that is flanked by a row of feathery, gill-tipped appendages called parapodia on either side, and Rouse said its sinuous swimming reminded him of a snake.

From Science Daily

The cellos were broad and sinuous, and the violins sighed and shone in big, roomy gestures.

From New York Times

All in all, more than 90 percent of the water that gets moved around Earth's midlatitudes—its midsection, where most of the world's population lives—gets transported via these sinuous sky streams.

From National Geographic

Related Words

• crooked
• curved
• meandering
• serpentine
• undulating