First recorded in 1350–1400.
Comes via Middle English from the Latin word tortuōsus, which derives from the verb torquēre, “to twist, bend.”
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF TORTUOUS\r\n

The tortuous road through the mountains made for a challenging but scenic drive.
The author's writing style was known for its elegant prose and tortuous plot twists.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/T03/T0390200.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"adjective","data":"full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/tortuous_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"Za9SDYxBsjlr15uzPX8BW","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"ask--for","entry":"ask for"},{"slug":"ask-for-the-moon","entry":"ask for the moon"},{"slug":"asking-bid","entry":"asking bid"},{"slug":"asking-price","entry":"asking price"},{"slug":"askja","entry":"Askja"}],"after":[{"slug":"askos","entry":"askos"},{"slug":"ask-out","entry":"ask out"},{"slug":"asl","entry":"ASL"},{"slug":"asla","entry":"ASLA"},{"slug":"aslant","entry":"aslant"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country"},"requestId":"Nn_YrA_BBQSaPJsNYIlxf","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country"},"requestId":"kDwQaYcrLt964wwiYwOyw","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"CulturalEntry","definitions":[{"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"text\", \"text\": \"Words from the inaugural address of President John F.\"}, {\"type\": \"cross_reference\", \"text\": \"Kennedy\", \"slug\": \"kennedy\"}, {\"type\": \"text\", \"text\": \", delivered in 1961.\"}]"}],"headword":{"displayForm":"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country","slug":"ask-country-ask-country"},"notes":[]}],"url":"ask-country-ask-country"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country"},"requestId":"I7E6XJ2JwBHvWKvkDyi_3","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country","displayForm":"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country","canonicalSlug":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country","content":[{"source":"cultural","entries":[{"id":"asknotwhatyo","type":"normal","entry":"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country","entrySyllabified":null,"entryVariants":[],"homograph":0,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":null,"contentBlocks":[{"title":null,"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":"Words from the inaugural address of President John F. Kennedy, delivered in 1961."}]}],"supplementaryNotes":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":9556,"index-rank-01":["ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country"],"index-rank-02":["ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country"],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country"},"requestId":"O3Ezs79CUoWpO9glN2eyD","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":["wheat","hat","whet","whit","chat","that","wham"],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"wheat","slug":"wheat"},{"displayForm":"hat","slug":"hat"},{"displayForm":"whet","slug":"whet"},{"displayForm":"whit","slug":"whit"},{"displayForm":"chat","slug":"chat"},{"displayForm":"that","slug":"that"},{"displayForm":"wham","slug":"wham"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country"},"requestId":"L3J3gbUetz28VVkC7yXhV","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country

Word of the Day