circuitous
/sɚˈkjuːətəs/adjective
circuitous is spelled C-I-R-C-U-I-T-O-U-S: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, circuitous means “Not direct or to the point” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in circuitous?
| Letters | 10: C-I-R-C-U-I-T-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 57,423rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is circuitous?
Circuitous appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 57,423rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce circuitous?
- UK /sɜːˈkjuːɪtəs/
- US /sɚˈkjuːətəs/
- US /sɚˈkjuːɪtəs/
Circuitous has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-circuitous.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with circuitous?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as circuitous from its last stressed vowel (/uətəs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of circuitous
- more circuitous comparative
- most circuitous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does circuitous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not direct or to the point.
- 2
Being a long and winding route.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Circuitous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | weitschweifig, umständlich, indirekt, umschweifend , weitläufig, verwunden |
| French | tortueux |
| Spanish | tortuoso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does circuitous come from?
First attested in 1664. From Latin circuitōsus, from circuitus, from circumeō (“to go around”), from circum (“around”) + eō (“to go”). By surface analysis, circuit + -ous.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).