tortuous

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "tortuous" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or experience that is long, winding, and complicated. Example: After a tortuous week of preparing for the presentation, the team was exhausted but relieved it had all gone smoothly.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Letwin – who acts as David Cameron's policy fixer – has been involved in increasingly tortuous negotiations to work out how to implement Lord Justice Leveson's proposals, which have taken him far away from the prime minister's initial response to the inquiry report when it was released in December.

The Guardian

It did not hold but the "Fox Accord" laid the basis for a long involvement in the island's tortuous politics.

The Guardian

Perhaps the narrow and tortuous road up from the coast deters the really big tourist coaches.

The Guardian - Travel

Ask anyone with depression who has a job and they will likely tell you of a tortuous process of concealment and subterfuge.

The Guardian - Opinion

Goodman revealed the tortuous attempts by the BBC's producers – and presenter Zoe Ball – to apologise to viewers, just in case they may have been offended by what they thought they heard.

The Guardian

If you need to collect revenue, drown the proposals in subclauses and tortuous acronyms so no one notices the money disappearing from their pockets.

The Guardian - Opinion

That is the task that I resume today …" Rudd's tortuous course back has been costly to the party and contributed to, although is not responsible for, Gillard's failures.

The Guardian

The museum has been a tortuous decade in the making.

The Guardian - Music

Greece's tortuous odyssey towards a resolution of its financial crisis hits another key stage this week, but probably not the final one.

The Guardian

It was Davis's fourth execution date, and it was dragged out, for more than four hours, to what must have been tortuous effect for the prisoner and his family.

The Guardian

Today we have a meeting of old and new from Deutsche Grammophon and their 50-CD celebration of a century recording the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, symbolised by the release of a tortuous anachronism, something they say could be "the oldest ever recording ever to be released as a new digital single".

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "tortuous" to describe processes or paths that are not only physically winding but also complex and difficult to navigate, like a "tortuous" negotiation or a "tortuous" legal process.

Common error

Avoid using "tortuous" to describe tasks that are merely difficult. "Tortuous" implies a complex, winding, and often frustrating process, not just a challenging one. For simple difficulty, consider words like "difficult", "challenging", or "tough" instead.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "tortuous" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to describe something that is twisted, complex, or difficult to navigate. Ludwig provides many examples where "tortuous" qualifies nouns like "negotiations", "road", and "process". Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

19%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "tortuous" is a versatile adjective used to describe something that is twisted, complex, or difficult to navigate. Ludwig's AI confirms that the word is usable and correct. It's prevalent in contexts like "News & Media", "Formal & Business", and "Science", indicating a neutral to formal register. Common usages include describing processes, negotiations, or paths that are not only winding but also fraught with complications. While similar to words like "convoluted" and "complex", "tortuous" uniquely emphasizes the twisting and turning nature of the subject. Remember to reserve "tortuous" for genuinely complex and winding situations rather than simple difficulties.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

convoluted

Describes something extremely complex and difficult to follow, emphasizing intricate details.

winding

Focuses on the physical aspect of having many curves and turns, often implying length and indirectness.

twisting

Highlights the act of bending or turning sharply, often suggesting distortion or difficulty.

complex

Indicates a state of having many different and connected parts, making it difficult to understand.

intricate

Emphasizes the detailed and complicated nature of something, often requiring careful attention.

arduous

Focuses on the difficulty and strenuous effort required, highlighting the challenging aspect of a process or task.

laborious

Stresses the amount of work and effort involved, implying a long and tiring process.

meandering

Describes something that wanders or progresses in a winding or indirect way, often lacking a clear path.

circuitous

Highlights the indirect and roundabout nature of a route or process, often implying inefficiency.

Byzantine

Implies excessive complexity and secretiveness, often associated with political or bureaucratic systems.

FAQs

How can I use "tortuous" in a sentence?

You can use "tortuous" to describe something that is twisted, complicated, or difficult. For example, "The negotiations were long and tortuous" or "The road to success was tortuous and full of obstacles".

What words are similar to "tortuous"?

Similar words include "convoluted", "winding", "twisting", and "complex". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it correct to use "tortuous" to describe a person?

While less common, "tortuous" can describe a person's actions or behavior if they are complicated and difficult to understand. It's more frequently used for processes, paths, or arguments.

What's the difference between "tortuous" and "arduous"?

"Tortuous" describes something that is complex and winding, while "arduous" refers to something that is difficult and requires great effort. A journey can be both tortuous and arduous.