Did you know?
The Origin of Convoluted Isn't
If you’ve ever felt your brain twisting itself into a pretzel while trying to follow a complicated or hard-to-follow line of reasoning, you’ll appreciate the relative simplicity of the adjective convoluted, which is perfect for describing head-scratchers (and pretzel-makers). Convoluted traces back to the Latin verb convolvere, meaning “to roll up, coil, or twist.” Originally, convoluted (like its predecessor in English, the verb convolute) was used in the context of things having literal convolutions—in other words, twisty things like intestines or a ram’s horns. Over time it expanded to figuratively describe things like arguments, plots, stories, logic, etc., that are intricate or feature many twists and turns that make them difficult to understand.
Examples of convoluted in a Sentence
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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
If nothing else, Guy Ritchie’s latest effort proves that a movie can be ridiculously convoluted and simple-minded at the same time.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
The link between eggs and cholesterol is extremely convoluted, adding even more nuance to the topic.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 15 May 2026
Of course, there are those who already find the lottery system too convoluted.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for convoluted
Cite this Entry
“Convoluted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convoluted. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
convoluted
adjective
Medical Definition
convoluted
adjective
