sinuous means having curves in alternate directions; meandering. It carries an Arena rating of 1850, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, sinuous ranks #32 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #1,007 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #2,312 of 17,115 for Most Vivid Words, #2,675 of 17,130 for Most Ingenious Words.
sinuous is pronounced /ˈsɪn.ju.əs/.
Why “sinuous” is a great word
Having a winding, curving, or serpentine form or movement. From Latin *sinuosus* ("full of curves, folds, or bendings"), from *sinus* ("curve, fold, hollow"), first attested in English in the 1570s. Unlike "serpentine," which evokes the tight, coiling, or deceptive curves of a snake, or "angular," which is all sharp corners and stark lines, sinuous is the general, graceful principle of the flowing bend. It is the supple arc of a river seen from a great height, the deliberate, weightless drift of a silk ribbon in still air, and the effortless, hip-swaying gait of a creature made for dense undergrowth—the quiet intelligence of the path of least resistance.
adj
- Having curves in alternate directions; meandering.e.g.“We followed every bend of the sinuous river.”
- Moving gracefully and in a supple manner.e.g.“We were entranced by her sinuous dance.”
- Morally crooked; shifty.
Words closest in meaning
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