# tortuous

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈtɔːt͡ʃuːəs/ · frequency rank #44,533

## Definitions
1. Twisted; having many turns; convoluted.
2. Oblique; applied to the six signs of the zodiac (from Capricorn to Gemini) that ascend most rapidly and obliquely.
3. Injurious; tortious.

## Etymology
From Middle English tortuous, tortuose, from Anglo-Norman and Old French tortuos, from Latin tortuōsus, from tortus (“a twisting, winding”).

## Easily confused with
- **torturous** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tortuous-vs-torturous)

## Common misspellings (11)
`otrtuous`, `torrtuous`, `tortouus`, `torttuous`, `tortuosu`, `tortuouss`, `tortuuos`, `torutous`, `totruous`, `trotuous`, `ttortuous`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tortuous