Meaning & use
labyrinth
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Meanings
nouncountable
A network of winding paths or rooms where it is easy to get lost.
Grammar: Countable: a labyrinth, labyrinths.
Patterns
- a labyrinth of something
Tourists got lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets.
The garden has a labyrinth made of tall hedges.
In the myth, the hero entered the labyrinth to face the beast.
nouncountablefigurative
Something very complicated and confusing, such as rules or relationships.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: a labyrinth of rules.
Patterns
- a labyrinth of something
She struggled through a labyrinth of forms to get a permit.
The case became a labyrinth of lies.
The tax code is a labyrinth.
nouncountablemedical
The system of fluid-filled channels in the inner ear that helps with hearing and balance.
Grammar: Anatomical term, usually with the: the labyrinth of the ear.
Patterns
- the labyrinth of the ear
An infection of the inner ear's labyrinth can cause dizziness.
The labyrinth helps the body sense balance.
Doctors examined the labyrinth.
Word forms
| plural | labyrinths |
|---|
Common combinations
- a labyrinth of corridors
- The hospital is a labyrinth of corridors.
- labyrinth of rules
- The law is a labyrinth of rules.
- navigate a labyrinth
- We navigated a labyrinth of alleys.
- hedge labyrinth
- They walked through a hedge labyrinth.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- labyrinthine adjective
- complicated like a labyrinth
- labyrinthitis noun
- inner-ear inflammation
Commonly confused: labyrinth or maze?
labyrinth vs maze
A maze is usually a puzzle with choices; a labyrinth in classical sense has one winding path, though most people use them interchangeably.
Practice
She spent weeks trying to find her way through a ____ of official forms.
Choose one answer.
A labyrinth of forms is a confusing, complex tangle. The other words do not collocate with of forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “labyrinth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.