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Synonyms

twisted

American  
[twis-tid] / ˈtwɪs tɪd /

adjective

  1. interwoven or combined by winding together, as strands or threads; formed in this way.

    It was Roebling who invented the twisted wire cable used in bridge supports.

  2. altered in shape by turning the ends in opposite directions, forming a spiral.

    To remove an object from inside the lower eyelid, wet the end of a twisted piece of tissue and touch it to the object.

  3. turned sharply or wrenched out of place; injured in this way.

    I hadn't touched a skateboard in almost a year because of a twisted ankle.

  4. (of a person’s features) distorted or contorted by tensing or contracting the facial muscles.

    He made a twisted face as he bent down to look at the disgusting mess.

  5. (of words) having the meaning distorted or perverted.

    It is a sad day when outright lies and twisted words triumph over truth.

  6. mentally or emotionally distorted; warped.

    It's perverse logic, but it explains how someone with a twisted mind can have a clear conscience.

  7. tortuously bent out of shape.

    The twisted steel wreckage of the sunken ship can be seen in this sonar image.

  8. taking a winding, curving, or bending course.

    Twisted vines curl, bend, and overlap while growing side by side.

    It's by a long and twisted path that I've been led to this moment.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of twist.

Other Word Forms

  • twistedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of twisted

twist ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Our twisted version of a capitalist guardian angel, patron saint of spandex in a cropped matching set.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The barbs were placed on a wire, and a second wire was twisted around it to hold the barbs in place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

I just twisted my left hip, then caught my balance.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

There was a kind of twisted inevitability with how the Republic of Ireland's fate was sealed after Hallgrimsson revealed in the build-up that his squad would not practise penalties.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

The chief reached over and twisted the volume knob not down but up.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.