What does "twisted" mean?

1. (bent out of shape) bent or curled into a shape that is not natural or normal. 2. (cruel or strange) having a mind or sense of humor that is strange, cruel, or unpleasant. 3. (intertwined) made of several pieces of string or wire wound around each other.

twisted

adj.

US //ˈtwɪstɪd// UK //twˈɪstɪd// twist·ed

1 bent out of shape (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

bent or curled into a shape that is not natural or normal.

physically contorted or forced out of its natural shape or alignment.

Example

The bicycle wheel was twisted after it hit the deep hole in the road.

Example

The old oak tree had a twisted trunk that looked like it had been wrung like a wet towel over many centuries.
- contorted
- warped
- bent
- straight
2 cruel or strange (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

having a mind or sense of humor that is strange, cruel, or unpleasant.

mentally or emotionally distorted; exhibiting a perverted or morbid sense of morality or humor.

Example

He has a twisted sense of humor and laughs at things that aren't funny.

Example

The villain in the film had a twisted logic, believing that his destructive actions were actually helping the city.
- wholesome
- sane

Show 1 more senseShow fewer

3 intertwined (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

made of several pieces of string or wire wound around each other.

composed of multiple strands or threads wound together to form a single cord or rope.

Example

The sailor used a thick, twisted rope to tie the boat to the dock.

Example

The necklace featured several twisted gold wires that caught the light from every angle.
- braided
- interwoven
- unravelled

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.