sinuous

[sin-yoo-uhs]

adjective

1. having many curves, bends, or turns; winding.

   a sinuous path.

   Synonyms: serpentine
   Antonyms: straight

2. indirect; devious.

   sinuous questions.

   Synonyms: roundabout
   Antonyms: direct

3. characterized by a series of graceful curving motions.

   a sinuous dance.

4. Botany.,  sinuate, as a leaf.

sinuous

/ ˈsɪnjʊəs /

adjective

1. full of turns or curves; intricate

2. devious; not straightforward

3. supple; lithe

Other Word Forms

• sinuously adverb
• sinuousness noun
• subsinuous adjective
• unsinuous adjective
• unsinuously adverb
• unsinuousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinuous¹

From the Latin word sinuōsus, dating back to 1570–80. See sinus, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinuous¹

C16: from Latin sinuōsus winding, from sinus a curve

Example Sentences

Next, they dug a pathway through the back and side yards, installing the broken pieces of concrete to form “sinuous paths that would lead to moments of discovery,” Glass says.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a long, sinuous riff, one so intoxicating that the audience in front of him can’t help but to two-step across the crowded dance floor.

From Los Angeles Times

The result — which feels surprisingly grown-in even though the museum won’t open until next year — is a sinuous, eclectic landscape that unfolds in discrete vignettes, all promoting exploration and distinct experience.

From Los Angeles Times

That is close to what scientists have spotted on Venus: two vast, sinuous lava flows oozing from two different corners of Earth’s planetary neighbor.

From New York Times

It’s those that helped to shape the peninsula, squeezing the land into sinuous bends and folds and tilts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crooked 
• curved www.thesaurus.com
• meandering 
• serpentine 
• undulating