convoluted
adjective
con·vo·lut·ed
ˈkän-və-ˌlü-təd 
1
: having convolutions
a ram with convoluted horns
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The Origin of Convoluted Isn't
Convoluted comes from Latin convolvere, meaning "to roll up, coil, or twist." It is related to the verb convolute, meaning "to twist or coil." Once something is twisted it can be literally and figuratively difficult to unravel, and can be convoluted.
Synonyms
Examples of convoluted in a Sentence
At base stands a profound respect for the integrity of history and the complex and convoluted relationship between present and the past.
—
Ira Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
They are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone …
—Margaret Atwood, Harper's, August 1990
… she has been fashioning sequences of plans too convoluted to materialize …
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
To therapists, stepfamilies may present convoluted psychological dilemmas …
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Family Politics, 1983
a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before
Ira Berlin, New York Times Book Review, 9 Sept. 2001
They are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone …
—Margaret Atwood, Harper's, August 1990
… she has been fashioning sequences of plans too convoluted to materialize …
—Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
To therapists, stepfamilies may present convoluted psychological dilemmas …
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Family Politics, 1983
a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before
Recent Examples on the Web
While the plot is as convoluted and silly as in the last film — Dr. Edelmann tries to cure Dracula’s vampirism through blood transfusions, among other developments — there’s slightly more cohesion.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
This is where things get a little convoluted and nonsensical.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
Which makes this all the more convoluted, confusing and confounding.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Incandescent, convoluted, ancillary, cerebral, confound, calamity.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for convoluted 
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
This is where things get a little convoluted and nonsensical.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
Which makes this all the more convoluted, confusing and confounding.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
Incandescent, convoluted, ancillary, cerebral, confound, calamity.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for convoluted
Dictionary Entries Near convoluted
Cite this Entry
“Convoluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convoluted. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
convoluted
adjective
con·vo·lut·ed
ˈkän-və-ˌlüt-əd
1
: folded or curved in twisted windings
especially
: having convolutions
2
: complicated in form : intricate
convoluted phrasing
Medical Definition
convoluted
adjective
con·vo·lut·ed
-ˌlü-təd
: folded in curved or tortuous windings
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