labyrinthine
/ˌlab.əˈɹɪn.θʌɪn/
labyrinthine · adj — physically resembling a labyrinth; with the qualities of a maze. It carries an Arena rating of 1952, earned across 60 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, labyrinthine ranks #50 of 43,042 for Qualifying, #198 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #300 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #544 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
labyrinthine is pronounced /ˌlab.əˈɹɪn.θʌɪn/.
Why “labyrinthine” is a great word
Having the intricate, winding, and confusing qualities of a labyrinth; convoluted and difficult to follow. From Ancient Greek λᾰβύρῐνθος (labúrinthos, "a maze") via the adjectival suffix -ine; the figurative sense of "intricate" is attested by 1800. Unlike "complex," which merely emphasizes interconnected parts, or "convoluted," which suggests a twisted complication, labyrinthine evokes the specific, constructed terror of a path designed to confound. It is the warren of back-alley streets in an ancient city, the impenetrable bureaucracy of a decaying ministry, or the branching neural pathways of a single, persistent regret—a structure whose very purpose is to make a simple exit impossible.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From labyrinth + -ine from Ancient Greek λᾰβύρῐνθος (lăbúrĭnthos, “a maze”).
adj
- Physically resembling a labyrinth; with the qualities of a maze.e.g.“As our train to Paris dashed through the labyrynthine flyovers at Porchefontaine, barely a mile from Versailles, the 75 m.p.h. limit was already almost attained.” — 1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, volume 14, number 158, page 670:
- Relating to the labyrinth of the inner ear.
- Convoluted, baffling, confusing, perplexing.e.g.“Mamet, like one of his characters, invents a labyrinthine, convoluted spiel leading nowhere, and like a magician distracts us with his words while elaborately not producing a rabbit from his hat.” — 1996 September 13, Roger Ebert, “American Buffalo movie review (1996)”, in Roger Ebert:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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