Standard Lemma guide

convoluted

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɒnvəˈl(j)uːtɪd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkɒnvəl(j)uːtɪd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-vəʊ-/
  • General-American: /ˌkɑnvəˈlutəd/
  • General-American: /ˈkɑnvəˌlutəd/
  • General-American: [-ɾəd]
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AA1 N V AH0 L UW2 T AH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having numerous overlapping coils or folds; convolute.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, biology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: meandrine, obvolute, torquated, tortuous

Antonyms: unconvoluted

2

adj

Meaning 2

Complex, complicated, or intricate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • He gave a convoluted explanation that amounted to little more than a weak excuse for his absence.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complex, complexed, complicate, complicated, convoluted, Gordian, involute, intricate, involutional, involved, knotty, labyrinthal, labyrinthine, manifold

Antonyms: unconvoluted

3

verb

Meaning 3

simple past and past participle of convolute

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious- Sir Walter Scott

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the Byzantine tax structure
  • Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship
  • convoluted legal language
  • convoluted reasoning
  • the plot was too involved
  • a knotty problem
  • got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering
  • Oh, what a tangled web we weave
  • tortuous legal procedures
  • tortuous negotiations lasting for months

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Byzantine, involved, knotty, tangled, tortuous

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

rolled longitudinally upon itself

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a convolute petal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: convolute

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *welH-der. Proto-Italic *wolwō Latin volvō Latin convolvō Latin convolūtusbor. English convolute English -ed English convoluted From convolute + -ed.

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ոլորապտույտ (oloraptuyt) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Armenian: ոլոր-մոլոր (olor-molor) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Bulgarian: намотан (namotan) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Bulgarian: усукан (usukan) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Czech: propletený — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Czech: zamotaný — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Dutch: overlappend — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Finnish: kierteinen — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • French: convoluté — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • French: circonvolutif — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • German: gewunden — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Italian: convoluto — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Italian: accartocciato — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Italian: appallottolato — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Italian: spiegazzato — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Persian: پیچاپیچ (pičâpič) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Polish: w esy-floresy — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Portuguese: convoluto — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Russian: изви́листый (izvílistyj) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Russian: кручёный (kručónyj) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Russian: вито́й (vitój) — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Spanish: convoluto — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Spanish: convuelto — having numerous overlapping coils or folds
  • Armenian: մանվածապատ (manvacapat) — complex
  • Armenian: ոլորապտույտ (oloraptuyt) — complex
  • Armenian: ոլոր-մոլոր (olor-molor) — complex
  • Armenian: խրթին (xrtʻin) — complex
  • Bulgarian: витиеват (vitievat) — complex
  • Bulgarian: завързан (zavǎrzan) — complex
  • Bulgarian: засукан (zasukan) — complex
  • Bulgarian: оплетен (opleten) — complex
  • Bulgarian: заплетен (zapleten) — complex
  • Catalan: complicat — complex
  • Catalan: enrevessat — complex
  • Catalan: complex — complex
  • Chinese Mandarin: 曲折 (qūzhé) — complex
  • Czech: komplikovaný — complex
  • Czech: složitý — complex
  • Dutch: gecompliceerd — complex
  • Dutch: ingewikkeld — complex
  • Finnish: monimutkainen — complex
  • Finnish: mutkikas — complex
  • French: alambiqué — complex
  • French: compliqué — complex
  • French: tortueux — complex
  • Galician: complicado — complex
  • German: verschlungen — complex
  • German: verwickelt — complex
  • Ancient Greek: πολύπλοκος (polúplokos) — complex
  • Hungarian: bonyolult — complex
  • Hungarian: komplikált — complex
  • Hungarian: tekervényes — complex
  • Hungarian: nyakatekert — complex
  • Indonesian: rumit — complex
  • Italian: complicato — complex
  • Italian: contorto — complex
  • Italian: intricato — complex
  • Italian: involuto — complex
  • Italian: labirintico — complex
  • Italian: tortuoso — complex
  • Latin: involūtus — complex
  • Manx: lhoobagh — complex
  • Persian: پیچیده (pičide) — complex
  • Persian: در هم پیچیده (dar ham pičide) — complex
  • Polish: zawiły — complex
  • Portuguese: complicado — complex
  • Portuguese: enrolado — complex
  • Portuguese: labiríntico — complex
  • Russian: изощрённый (izoščrjónnyj) — complex
  • Russian: сло́жный (slóžnyj) — complex
  • Russian: запу́танный (zapútannyj) — complex
  • Serbo-Croatian: замршен (zamršen) — complex
  • Spanish: convoluto — complex
  • Spanish: alambicado — complex
  • Spanish: complicado — complex
  • Spanish: enredado — complex
  • Spanish: enrevesado — complex
  • Swedish: komplicerad — complex
  • Turkish: anlaşılması güç — complex
Real reading context

convoluted in complete knowledge articles