tortuous
UK/'tɔːtʃʊəs/US/'tɒ:tʃuәs/
TOEFLGREC2
Definitions
adj.
Full of twists, turns, and bends.
弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的。
adj.
Excessively long, complicated, or roundabout.
迂回曲折的，错综复杂的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedtort (twist) + -uous (full of) = 'full of twists.' Literally a winding road or river; figuratively a process or argument that bends back on itself instead of going straight. Do not confuse with torturous ('painful') — tortuous is about shape, not pain.
Root tort still carries 27 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.tortuous path曲折的道路
- 2.tortuous process曲折漫长的过程
- 3.tortuous road蜿蜒的山路
- 4.tortuous reasoning迂回的推理
Example Sentences
- 1.
We drove up a tortuous mountain road full of hairpin bends.
- 2.
The negotiations followed a long and tortuous path.
- 3.
His explanation was so tortuous that nobody could follow it.
Easily Confused
tortuous vs torturous — tortuous = winding (a tortuous road); torturous = painful (a torturous wait). They sound almost identical, but one bends and one hurts.