Meaning & use
labyrinths
Last updated
“labyrinths” is a form of “labyrinth”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
A confusing network of paths or passages that is hard to get out of.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a labyrinth' for one and 'labyrinths' for more than one.
Patterns
- a labyrinth of something
- get lost in a labyrinth
- the labyrinth's center
The old palace gardens contain a stone labyrinth that tourists love to explore.
We wandered through a labyrinth of narrow streets in the old town.
The children raced to the center of the labyrinth and back.
nouncountablefigurative
A complicated situation or system that is very hard to understand or escape.
Grammar: Often used figuratively in the pattern 'a labyrinth of + noun'.
Patterns
- a labyrinth of rules
- a labyrinth of bureaucracy
- navigate a labyrinth of something
New employees must find their way through a labyrinth of company rules.
She spent months navigating the labyrinth of visa paperwork.
The novel's plot is a labyrinth of secrets and lies.
nounsingularmedicaltechnical
A part of the inner ear that helps control balance.
Grammar: In this medical sense it is usually singular and often called 'the labyrinth'.
Patterns
- the labyrinth of the ear
- labyrinth disorder
The doctor explained that the labyrinth in the inner ear controls balance.
Damage to the labyrinth can cause dizziness and hearing problems.
Word forms
| plural | labyrinths |
|---|
Common combinations
- a labyrinth of streets
- The market sits inside a labyrinth of streets near the harbor.
- get lost in a labyrinth
- We got lost in a labyrinth of underground tunnels.
- navigate a labyrinth
- Lawyers must navigate a labyrinth of regulations.
- the center of a labyrinth
- A fountain stands at the center of the labyrinth.
- a maze-like labyrinth
- The hedge formed a maze-like labyrinth behind the house.
Synonyms and how they differ
- maze
- Maze is the everyday word for a puzzle of paths; labyrinth often suggests something older, larger, or more literary.
- warren
- A warren is a confusing network of narrow passages, especially in buildings or burrows, while a labyrinth can also be a formal puzzle design.
- tangle
- Tangle describes a messy, knotted mass or confusing state; it does not usually refer to a built structure of paths.
Word family
- labyrinthine adjective
- Extremely complicated, like a labyrinth.
Commonly confused: labyrinths or laburnum?
labyrinths vs laburnum
Laburnum is a flowering tree; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with paths or puzzles.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'labyrinths' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Labyrinths' is a plural noun, so it fits as the object of 'for' in option 0. The other options treat it as a verb, but no verb 'labyrinth' is used in these ways.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “labyrinths”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.