VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

twisted

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtwɪstɪd/
US/ˈtwɪstɪd/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Bent, turned or wound out of its normal shape.

    Grammar: Can come before a noun or after a verb: a twisted wire, the metal was twisted.

    Patterns

    • twisted around something

    The twisted wreckage lay across the road.

    A twisted rope held the gate shut.

    He had a twisted ankle after the fall.

  2. adjectivecomparabledisapprovingfigurative

    Morally warped or cruel in a disturbing way.

    Grammar: Often describes a mind, a person or a plan: a twisted sense of humor.

    Patterns

    • a twisted mind/sense of humor

    The villain in the film had a twisted mind.

    It was a twisted plan to frighten the neighbors.

    He has a twisted sense of humor that shocks some people.

  3. adjectivecomparablefigurative

    Changed so that it gives a false or unfair picture.

    Grammar: Describes ideas or accounts, often a twisted version of the truth.

    Patterns

    • a twisted version of something

    The report gave a twisted account of what happened.

    She heard a twisted version of the story from a friend.

    His twisted logic made no sense.

Common combinations

a twisted ankle
She limped home with a twisted ankle.
twisted metal
Twisted metal covered the crash site.
a twisted mind
Only a twisted mind could plan such a thing.
twisted logic
His twisted logic justified every excuse.
a twisted sense of humor
He has a twisted sense of humor that I enjoy.

Synonyms and how they differ

warped
Warped suggests something bent out of shape by heat or damp, and for people it implies a distorted outlook more than twisted does.
distorted
Distorted is more neutral and technical, used for images, sounds or facts that are changed.
perverse
Perverse means deliberately contrary or wrong, while twisted adds a sense of something dark.
deformed
Deformed describes a physical shape that has gone wrong and is not used for moral meaning.

Opposites

straightnormal

Word family

twist verb
to turn or bend something around
twist noun
a turn or an unexpected change in a story
twister noun
informal word for a tornado

Commonly confused: twisted or twined?

twisted vs twined

Twined means wound together like threads, with no sense of being warped or cruel.

Practice

The detective described the plan as ___, designed only to hurt people.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “twisted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words