ENGLISH
REFERENCE

twisted

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈtwɪstɪd// UK //twˈɪstɪd// twist·ed Archaic

v. bent or turned into a shape that is not natural. It can also describe a person's mind or a story that is strange and cruel.

v. forced out of its natural or proper shape; contorted. In a figurative sense, it describes a person or idea that is morally perverted or unpleasantly strange.


SIMPLE

The old tree has a twisted trunk.

CONTEXTUAL

The metal fence was badly twisted after the car crashed into it during the storm.

COMPLEX

The film's plot features a twisted psychological game between the two main characters, leaving the audience questioning who the real villain is until the final scene.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

The sense "intertwined" comes from twist (verb) by the late 15th century. The sense "mentally disturbed, perverted" is probably from twist (“mental peculiarity, perversion”, noun), which is attested by 1811.

Usage

Typically functions as a participial adjective; can be used literally for physical objects or figuratively for personality and logic.

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