tangled
Definition
- Adjective:
- Twisted together in a confused mass: Describes things, especially long, flexible items like hair, string, or vines, that are interwoven, knotted, and difficult to separate.
- Complicated and confusing: Describes a situation, set of circumstances, relationship, or line of thought that is complex, intricate, and often difficult to understand or resolve.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective (Physical):
- She spent an hour combing out her tangled hair after the windy walk.
- The old fishing nets were a tangled mess on the dock.
- Adjective (Abstract/Situational):
- The novel features a tangled plot involving secret identities and hidden motives.
- Their business relationship became tangled in legal disputes.
Advanced Usage
- "to get tangled up in something": To become involved in a complicated or problematic situation, often unintentionally.
- He got tangled up in a scheme that he didn't fully understand.
- "a tangled web": A famous idiom (from Sir Walter Scott) describing a complex, deceitful situation created by lies or complicated actions.
- The politician's lies created a tangled web that eventually trapped him.
Variants and Related Words
- Tangle (verb/noun): To twist together into a confused mass; a confused mass of things twisted together.
- The cords tangle easily if you don't store them properly.
- There was a tangle of wires behind the computer.
- Entangled (adjective): Similar to "tangled," often used in both physical and abstract contexts, sometimes with a stronger implication of being trapped or ensnared.
- The dolphin was entangled in the net.
- They were in an entangled emotional relationship.
Synonyms
- Knotted: Tied in or containing knots.
- Matted: Formed into a thick, tangled mass.
- Convoluted: Extremely complex and difficult to follow (for abstract concepts).
- Labyrinthine: Like a maze; intricately complicated.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases
- Tangle with (someone/something): To become involved in a fight, dispute, or difficult situation with someone or something.
- You don't want to tangle with him; he's a skilled debater.
Related Idioms
- "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.": A proverbial saying highlighting how lies create complex, problematic situations.
Adjective
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highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious
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the Byzantine tax structure
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Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship
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convoluted legal language
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convoluted reasoning
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the plot was too involved
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a knotty problem
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got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering
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Oh, what a tangled web we weave- Sir Walter Scott
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tortuous legal procedures
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tortuous negotiations lasting for months
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in a confused mass
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pushed back her tangled hair
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the tangled ropes
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