tortuous

[ tawr-choo-uhs ]

adjective

1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked:

   a tortuous path.

   Synonyms: serpentine, sinuous, bent

2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; circuitous:

   tortuous negotiations lasting for months.

   Synonyms: indirect, roundabout, evasive

3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.

tortuous

/ ˈtɔːtjʊəs /

adjective

1. twisted or winding

   a tortuous road

2. devious or cunning

   a tortuous mind

3. intricate

Confusables Note

See torturous.

Derived Forms

• ˈtortuously, adverb
• ˈtortuousness, noun

Other Words From

• tortu·ous·ly adverb
• tortu·ous·ness noun
• non·tortu·ous adjective
• non·tortu·ous·ly adverb
• un·tortu·ous adjective
• un·tortu·ous·ly adverb
• un·tortu·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortuous¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu(s) “a twisting” ( torquēre “to twist, bend” + -tus suffix of verbal action) + -ōsus adjective suffix; -ous

Example Sentences

It also revamped the filter to contain “a tortuous maze of micropores” that helps to “address 200+ typical contaminants found in tap water.”

From Los Angeles Times

Each week, the section highlights one wedding with photos and a generally upbeat tale about the couple’s sometimes tortuous road to the altar.

From Los Angeles Times

They also revamped the filter to contain “a tortuous maze of micropores” that helps to “address 200+ typical contaminants found in tap water.”

From Los Angeles Times

But the tortuous course of this case illustrates a flaw in the special counsel regulations, at least in our current hyperpartisan atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times

It's the first time the vehicle has been entrusted to carry people after coming through a long and tortuous development programme.

From BBC

Related Words

• circuitous
• convoluted
• indirect
• labyrinthine
• meandering
• serpentine
• twisting
• winding

Tortuous Vs. Torturous

What’s the difference between tortuous and torturous?

Tortuous means winding or full of twists and turns, as in a tortuous path, but it can also be used in a more figurative way to mean indirect, convoluted, or even devious. Torturous is used to describe things that are painful or that cause suffering, as if they were a form of torture.

Both words are adjectives, and their spellings are separated by only one letter—making their pronunciations very similar. Making things even more confusing is that there are some situations in which it could make sense to use either word. For example, a piece of writing that’s extremely hard to follow because of how unorganized it is could be described as both tortuous (because it’s so meandering) and torturous (because it’s like torture to read it).

The best way to remember the difference is that torturous has a second r in it, just like its base word, torture. If you want to use the word tortuous in a piece of writing and you’re worried it might be confusing, you might be right! Luckily, there are plenty of alternative words that can be used in the same way, depending on what you mean, such as winding, meandering, circuitous, indirect, and convoluted.

Here’s an example of tortuous and torturous used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: Trying to follow the tortuous arguments in the meandering paper was torturous. 

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between tortuous and torturous.

Quiz yourself on tortuous vs. torturous!

Should tortuous or torturous be used in the following sentence?

The _____ switchback trail snaked up and down the mountainside.